Saving Celestia
by SomeGuyCamping
Summary: Happens after the events in my last story, My Little Fallout, Vegas Isn't Magic. 8 equestrians go through a portal to the Capitol Wasteland to try and rescue Celestia after she went to find Luna and The Elements who were actually in New Vegas but made it back to Equestria too late to stop Celestia from searching for them. First person and POV changes often between characters.
1. Chapter 1: Octavia

Chapter 1 Octavia

Quick note before I get started on chapter 1. The characters have been humanized but don't really have any knowledge of human anatomy so they associate their new features with something they recognize. (Like in their minds they think fingers are close to claws and hands are paws, but they do know what arms are. If it gets confusing I may edit it out and just have them know all their new body parts.) Also instead of them learning cuss words I just have them cuss normally instead of the show's euphemisms.

This story takes place after the last chapter in my other story, My Little Fallout Vegas isn't Magic (It kind of sucks so you don't need to read it).

The capitol wasteland in this story varies greatly from the in game city (New areas, weapons, factions, and this is a spoiler… good Enclave, if you do not approve then deal with it or don't read.). I will take this storyline more seriously than my other story but expect some comedic aspects and a lot of unneeded references. Enjoy.

(Octavia's POV: Right as she's waking up)

I awoke groggy, like the times I had a few too many of the hard drinks with Vinyl Scratch before bed. My vision was blurry, but I could feel the tight ropes cutting into where my hooves were supposed to be. I could also feel a cloth rag balled into my mouth with another piece of cloth keeping it firmly in place.

My vision began to clear and I rolled over on the uncomfortable white dirty mattress I was on. I had to flick my head to clear my long black mane out of my face.

I saw a two sided shack cobbled together out of rusted metal sheets that looked like they once belonged on a building's roof. I was clearly on what once was a road. The faded, dual yellow stripes snaked their way up the cracked asphalt and concrete, to the shack where the muscular stallion now a human man, Horse Power was bound.

The shack had a rusted metal frame for a bed but it was missing the mattress, probably the one I'm lying on.

Upon a closer look I saw that my backpack, cello case, and bow were beside a few random odds and ends.

Horse Power was bound to the pole in the corner of the shack that had no walls attached to it. He had his new human arms tied behind his back and was gagged just like I was. Lucky for him they didn't tie his legs.

Then it hit me, Where am I, and how did I get tied up!?

I had to force myself calm so I could think.

Ok breathe, now let's recap current events. Discord was left in charge of Equestria after Celestia foolishly charged a small army through a portal to find Luna, who in reality was in a completely different location in this new dimension and made it home safely.

You went through the portal and your body was changed into that of something Luna called a "Human", and in that transformation you were knocked unconscious. Well apparently you were captured by someone or perhaps something, but whom? Wait a second here someone comes.

A human male, wearing armor made from scraps of leather and cloth made his way over to me, walking past a now waking and equally groggy as me Horse Power, without even a glance. A knife was in his right paw or whatever you call it, as he walked up to me.

He put one of his boots on my shoulder and violently pushed, rolling me over and leaving a dirt impression with the treads. He sat down on my stomach and began twirling the knife around in his human paw. Opening and closing the butterfly knife that I recognized was Marionette's.

Through a sick, evil grin showing cavity riddled teeth, he spoke with breath that smelled like he hadn't brushed in forever. "Well lookeee, here. Guess who decided to finally wake up."

This brute was obviously high off drugs which made me cringe in fear. Just what in the name of hell did he have planned for me?

He then grabbed a paw full of my black mane and cut a small lock out of it.

He held the lock of hair up to his nose and inhaled, then exhaled with an ahhh.

"Such a pretty woman, and you smell like that bottle of lav-in-dur stuff I found in an old safe. You and me, were goanna have lots of fun."

I could only imagine what 'fun' involved me tied up.

Actually, I knew just what he was going to do. It doesn't take Twilight Sparkle to figure out that a pretty girl like me, all tied up and completely helpless would have this male force himself on them.

He began to unbutton my slacks but Horse Power began yelling through his gag but all that came out was unintelligible gibberish.

The male sitting on top of me stopped messing with my pants without even getting the button on them undone and gave Horse Power a cold glare.

"Did I fucking speak to you, huh? Do you want me to be the only one here with a fucking dick? Talk without permission again I feed you little pieces of yourself, and I start cutting in places the sun don't shine. NOW SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

More illegible mumbles came from HP's mouth. But I swore it was something about the thug's mother.

The male leapt off of me and stuck the knife right up to HP's neck. "Do you think I'm fucking playing with you!? Do I need to cut bigger ears into you so you can hear the fucking words coming from my lips? Actually, fuck it. I'm a kind guy, so I won't let you end up like your friend. Yet."

I saw that he was pointing, and at first glance I thought he was pointing at me. I then realized he was pointing past me and I rolled over to look.

I wish I hadn't.

The only way I knew it was Marionette was her green mane.

She was on a mattress like I was on. A syringe jutted out her neck, arms and legs were severed from her body. Belts were tied around the bloody nubs that were once limbs to keep her from bleeding too much.

I screamed as loud as I could through my gag, and felt bile force its way up my throat. The stomach acid burning like crazy, tasting faintly of the daisy and hay ice-cream I had earlier.

"Great now look what you made me do! I didn't get to tell her all the ways I cut her friend up like a brahmin sent to the slaughter. How I gave her just enough med-x to keep her from going unconscious, but still very much feel every stroke of the saw I used to cut off her arms and legs. Stupid piece of SHIT!" he then backslapped Horse Power making a loud smack and leaving a visible red mark on his face and walked off.

Towards ME!

I struggled and yelled as loud and hard as I could but it was useless. The ropes binding me were too tight and the gag too far in my mouth to let much noise escape.

He sat on top of me again and forced my head to face Marionette's mutilated body.

"Look. All of that blood. It's Just a wondrous sight huh? The little red liquid that keeps us alive, painting this hellhole a nice bright shade of color. Look, look. Even now she still clings to what little life she has left."

I looked at the body again so he wouldn't kill me. I then noticed her chest weakly rise and fall.

How did she survive the brutality inflicted on her body? My eyes began to sting. I couldn't look at the sight any longer.

I had seen many gore filled slasher movies with my marefriend Vinyl, and some were as gruesome as this. But this was no movie, this was all too real.

Through tears and the gag, I yelled curses, swears, profanity, and any other names for cussing you could think of at this monster.

Instead of him brutally killing me, he cut my gag and took out the bile covered rag from my mouth.

As he held one of the slender limbs on his paw that was much like a meaty claw to his lips making a *shhhhh* sound

I knew Marionette must be in unimaginable pain, and I knew I would probably be killed for asking but I had to try.

"K-k-k-kill h-e-her." I weakly pleaded through tears.

The psychopath just laughed. "Usually I hear someone say. Kill me please! Please, please oh God kill me! She kept begging for someone named Faust for her to die, so I just made her suffer longer. Slowed the sawing, messed with her absolutely ugly green hair, and" He paused for a second "And since I'm such a nice guy, and she's your friend, I'll let you do the honors."

Before I could protest he rolled me onto my stomach and cut the ropes binding my arms and legs.

I heard a *click* sound and a cold metal device I guessed was like Rarity's gun Maria was pressed into the back of my skull. The knife clattered in front of my face.

"Even think about using it on me, and I paint the ground a rosy pink with your brains."

I clutched the knife and crawled my way to Marionette's barely alive form.

I sat on my knees and put the tip of the blade against her throat and through all the pain, she smiled, although it was weak but a smile nonetheless, she knew I would deliver her from this psycho.

It was a hard decision to make. I killed changelings during the invasion of Canterlot but that was in self-defense. Here was a mare that I personally knew from school. She wasn't really a friend of mine, just a well-known acquaintance.

We both attended The Manehattan School for the Arts, the institution where my parents forced me to take music lessons. Our lockers were beside each other and we often talked between classes. She was a ventriloquist and a puppet master, often employing magic in her acts stunning the audience I often was a part of. She leaned accents and languages fast and used them to her advantage in performances, almost bringing her puppets alive through a combination of multiple voices and stingless manipulation of the dolls with her unicorn telekinesis.

I was going to end all of that beautiful mastership of an art form with a single thrust.

But then again she was dead anyway. I couldn't let her continue to be this psycho's plaything.

I jabbed the knife straight down, hearing a crunch as blade met and then severed her spine. Quick and clean. A mercy.

A mercy that was sullied by the words of a psychopath jesting after I done the deed.

"Yes yes, feel her pulse in the blade, feel the life drain from her, feel the warm blood now on your hands."

There was a loud *swish* met by the sound of metal meeting flesh with the audible crack of ribs, the gun that he had pointed at my head hit the ground with a few clatters and clanks.

"Umph…what…the…FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" he yelled as he backpedaled off the side of the bridge we were on, clutching his side. Luckily the water under the bridge was shallow enough to not break a fall, yet deep enough to drown.

Horse Power had cut his ropes by rubbing them against the pole he was bound to, and grabbed a nearby sledgehammer that was on the bedframe. He handed me the strange gun that was more boxier shaped than Maria and my backpack.

I saw enough cheap horror films to know his next sentence.

"Octavia run. Run and don't look back, I'll handle the rest. Just run! NOW!"

I looked as several more psychopaths in equally ratty armor charged towards us from the other end of the bridge. So I slung on my backpack adorned by a copy of my cutie mark and ran.

I ran as far and fast as my new legs could carry me. Leaving my bow and arrows behind.

I didn't even think of stopping when I heard the first bang, HP's yell, or the second bang.

I ran towards the ruined city, the sight far more appealing than the butcher shop of a bridge. My black hair was caked with dirt, dust, and sweat.

I ran through the rubble filled streets, past refuse and what looked like burned human versions of carriages. Not looking back as I tore through an alleyway and finding an open door beckoning me to run inside across the next street at the end of the alley.

I ran through the door only to be stopped as a rusty metal maw sprang from the floor and grabbed my leg, causing me to twist it to a painful angle, before it let go. I fell onto the floor dropping the gun and sliding my body across the dirty sand colored tiling, putting a few rips into my once pristine suit's shoulder and arm.

I tried to get up but a sharp pain exploded through me as I put pressure on my right leg. My vision was swimming and growing dark at the edges.

I collapsed and crawled to retrieve the gun. I then moved myself to a corner clutching the weapon in my hand as naturally as it felt it should go, and let my broken and pain riddled exhausted body succumb to the numbness of passing out.

I awoke from unconsciousness for the second time possibly today. I was in an old store. Tan tiled flooring with nothing except a door leading into a back room, stairs, and a counter with a radio and cash register. I had no idea how long I was out but it was still very much light outside the largely intact window.

The metal jaw that caused me to twist my leg was still there, but the door was closed.

*click-click*

I just had to mumble an unladylike "Fuck" as I stared down the tube of a much larger gun than the one I had.

"Well a howdy do to you too. Name's Trader Tom, and will you tell me just what the hell you're doing here?" The wielder of the gun said in a surprisingly nice tone. Trader Tom's skin was a tannish white color, the same as mine. He had brown hair and mustache. He was in blue jeans and a dirty brown coat which had various tools tied to it.

I looked at him with tears and pain in my eyes. "If you're going to kill me, please m-mm-make it qui-ck." I choked out through tears.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were one of them Equestrians."

"Huh?" I babbled out in shock as he lowered the gun from my face.

"You're eyes, their purple. I only seen unnatural eye colors like that in you Equestrian fellows. I'm guessing raiders got hold of you, haven't they?"

I nodded and broke down sobbing as the scene played out before my eyes. Marionette's mangled body dying from her own knife delivered by my new hands.

Trader Tom set his weapon aside and spread his arms out in a hug motion.

I needed a shoulder to cry on, someone normal to hold me and keep me safe. And in that moment I decided that I would accept it from this stranger.

His dirty brown coat smelt like garbage, but I cried on his shoulder anyways.

I couldn't think straight so I just sat in the dirt on the floor and cried and babbled like a scared little filly in the arms of their father who was protecting them from any danger. Be it monsters of their own design, or real monsters wanting to do them harm.

My body felt numb and weak, so I laid down and hoped that the numbness of unconsciousness would rinse me clean of the pain in my leg and head splitting migraine.

Despite all that happened and the pain, I fell into a short sleep. And when I awoke I felt better, but still had the memory seared into my brain and the pain in my leg, but I wasn't the train wreck of emotions I was earlier.

Trader Tom was looking at my now swollen leg.

"Sorry." He said

I didn't know why he apologized to me. "For what, you're not the one that killed a friend of mine, or my savior?"

"The bear trap at the door is mine. I set it every time I go scavenge for things to sell. So care to explain why you're in a suit and bowtie instead of that funny gold power armor."

"I was sent with a group of people to find our leader, Celestia. My group has met a horrific end. I'm the only surviving member. Horse Power is dead, Marionette is dead, and I'm not far from it with my busted leg. Wait, where was that Foley guy?"

"Who?" Tom asked curiously.

"I didn't see Foley on the bridge. He may very well still be alive!"

I looked about the small storeroom we were in with new hope. I wasn't completely alone.

That feeling was completely shattered by Tom just as fast as it picked my spirits up.

"If raiders got hold of your group, than he's probably dead. What happened to this Horse Power and Marionette you talk about?"

"I was tied up by one of the raiders you speak of. He hacked Marionette to pieces and let me finish her off with her own knife. Horse Power broke free and saved me by killing him with a sledgehammer." I was surprisingly relieved to share that tragedy with someone.

"I'm sorry I asked." He said, sounding regretful of asking.

"Don't worry, I needed to get that out of me. I seen enough death and killed things before, but the brutality that that monster used on Marionette was something I only seen in movies."

Tom began to talk. "The raiders give no mercy." He sounded bitter. "They deserve none in return."

"You lose someone close to them?" I immediately regretted asking a question that personal but the words were already out my mouth.

"Assholes wiped out my old town! Killed my family and burned my house to ashes. Any raider you see you kill."

This man lost more than I had. He had friends, family, town, and house taken by these psychos. I couldn't think of how he coped with this when I was brought down by just 3 deaths. He probably has seen countless here. My thoughts then drifted to the gun.

"I picked up one of these guns. What do you call it?" I asked happy to change the subject.

"That's a 10mm pistol. You find them almost in any gun store. Ammo is a dime a dozen but it looks like it's in very shitty condition. A real gun is this Chinese Assault Rifle firing a 5.56 round with 23 of its brothers following in rapid succession. Swiss cheesing any piss ant that wants to try and get on your bad side."

I'm not Rarity class when it came to manners (otherwise me and Vinyl would be having a lot more fights than we already have) but seriously these people have language issues.

"How do they work?" I asked scoring a confused look that quickly changed to normality.

"Almost forgot you weren't from around here because you aren't in one of those blue jumpsuits or gold armor."

"Wait a second, blue jumpsuits? Celestia must be dead serious about this if she brought some of the Wonderbolts… oh well, back to figuring out this gun thing."

Tom darted off to the back room and retrieved a few cans, some metal things that looked like rectangles, and a box that read 10mm ammo.

He set the 3 cans in a line on the counter. He opened the box of ammo for the pistol and began pushing the shiny little pieces of metal into the rectangle metal boxes.

"Here I'll let you have a few clips of 10mm ammo. Now I need you to watch carefully at how I handle the weapon."

He showed me all about the gun, the ammo he called bullets, how to load, aim, and fire it. He even told me all the different words used when talking about guns, a few types of guns, and then shown me how to take it apart and put some back together with parts from another weapon.

Just like cleaning my cello.

He handed me the pistol with a cocky smile. "Now you try."

I took aim at the three cans which already had a hole in them from Tom's shots. I fired 3 times and only was rewarded by clipping the middle can's top.

"Take your time and…" *WHAM* the door in front of the store swung out and slammed to reveal 3 men in black combat armor that, oddly enough, looked like exact copies of Gilda's, minus one claw painting.

"Heyyyyyyy, Tommie boy, Guesss whoooo?"

Tom rolled his eyes. "What are you 3 Talon Company Merc bozos doing here?"

"We decided that we want our protection money early. We need it to buy ammo and other necessity's to keep guard. Don't want this place to get 'raided' do you?"

Extortion, Gilda would fit right in. Everybody knows that Gilda is a massive bitch. Hurting Fluttershy's feelings and crashing a Pinkie Pie party kind of gives you a bad rep in Equestria.

There I go using lingo Vinyl taught me. Man would my street wise vocabulary be short if I didn't have her. I wonder if she's worried about me.

(In a downtown Manehattan apartment, a white, scruffy electric blue haired mare was drooling into a pillow on the couch with a bowl of popcorn scattered on the floor. She had fallen asleep watching some cheesy named and cheaply made horror film, and still had her shades on.)

I came back to reality when Tom said something about not enough caps.

The only one of the Talon Company to speak looked right at me. "We might forget a few weeks payment for a few hours with her."

Great, it must really suck being good looking here. And my parents wonder why, how does that saying go, my barn door swings that way. Who says that? Oh that delicious looking apple named Applejack. Sadly she's probably the straightest mare in Equestria. I'd have more hopes of getting little miss prim and proper Rarity under the sheets with me and Vinyl.

Now that I think of it, we hadn't had a good threesome in a while. Not since Vinyl brought home Pinkie Pie. I was surprised that the overly bouncy mare was the one that asked her and that she was completely normal acting with us.

I was brought out of my thoughts when green spheres of fire and red streaks of light slammed into the side of one of the Talon Company Mercs.

The first and second guy readied their weapons as the second guy was hit in the chest with green fire. Green flames burst from the wound like a volcano and warped the armor as he screamed in pain before Tom used his assault rifle to finish him off. Now I know how to use it.

The only one to gets shots off was the one that tried to make a deal with Tom. Good thing he was distracted or the two bullets I fired past his head would've gotten me killed.

The third hit him right in the middle of his unprotected head. Dropping him like the sack of filth he was.

The thought then hit me. Green fire = changelings.

I readied the 10mm pistol and prepared for the chitinous forms of changeling drones to swarm through and drag me off so they could feed off my dear Vinyl.

Instead of drones I heard heavy footsteps as a being stepped through the door.

I screamed at the sight of the black shell of the changeling that was now a few yards from me.

I fired off the remaining bullets and was only met by the clanging of metal on metal. Only scratch's and dents remained.

Dents, that meant metal. Oh Faust, I shot at someone in a suit of armor.

The being in the suit of armor looked at me, pointed its hand at me, then angled it up towards the ceiling moving one of the little limbs for grasping from side to side like it was going 'no-no, don't shoot at me'.

I facehanded and seen in my peripheral vision the figure shift. (AN: She doesn't know to call it a palm yet)

The helmet of the suit was now in the arms of the figure, who now looked less menacing.

"Sorry for startling you mam. But did you really have to shoot one of the knights in shining armor that bailed you out of the jam you were in."

The male looking at me had brown hair that was slightly darker than Toms, and was clean shaven.

I was greatful and fearful at the same time. "T-t-thank you." I stuttered.

"Much obliged miss." His gaze went to my painful swollen leg "Shit your leg. How bad is it?"

"I don't know. I can't walk on it. I think it might be broken."

The knight in black armor put his helmet down and cupped his hands as he faced the door, showing off the silver rectangular, assault rifle sized weapon which had a yellow cylinder near the shoulder rest. "Hey Holiday, we got a wounded civi!"

At him calling me a "Civi" I knew he was some form of military.

Another knight in black armor came in, carrying an odd weapon the size of the assault rifle and unidentified silver rectangular weapon. But instead of a barrel it had glass tubes containing swirling, changeling green energy and the same yellow cylinder where the clip should be. Then I put two and two together and came to the conclusion that those were some form of battery for weapons that relied on energy.

Holiday had a black metal backpack on his or her back which had a white circle and red cross on the metal door of it which was now set down beside me.

I thought it looked like that sexy little nurse Redheart's cutie mark without the hearts. Holiday opened up the backpack and revealed that it was neatly packed full of medical supplies.

Holiday pulled out a needle and I jumped in shock.

"What needle shy?" Holiday asked revealing that a male was under the helmet.

"No, no stay away!" I yelled as I used my hands and good leg to pull myself away from him.

"It's just a bit of med-x. I could amputate you're leg and you wouldn't even feel a thing."

Images of me hacked to pieces flashed in my mind. I nearly puked at the gruesome thought and tried to crawl away frantically.

Tom jumped over me and looked me in the eyes. "Stop. They want to help."

"No they want to cut me up like the raider did to Marionette!" My heart was racing and I forced myself up onto my leg.

I took a few steps and collapsed howling in pain as Holiday moved over me and removed his helmet.

His hair and goatee was a reddish color. "Please stop! You're going to hurt yourself more. Look at us, we saved you. Why would we want to hurt you?"

I stopped and exhaled the breath I held when he began speaking. Panting heavily I untensed a little but still felt like a fire was burning in my kneecap.

"Now the needle goes in your wrist and will only hurt for a second. The med-x will wear off in a few hours. It's perfectly safe as long as you don't take more than one before the last one had time to flush from your system."

I felt a sting as an alcohol coated cotton ball was rubbed on my wrist, an area far away from my neck thankfully. The strong smell of the alcohol sent my brain spinning. Then there was a sharper pain as Holiday pushed in the needle. He then pressed the plunger on the syringe sending the numbing liquid drug into my body.

The effect was almost instantaneous as my leg no longer felt like Derpy dropped an anvil on it.

Holiday looked towards the clean shaven knight. "Christopher, call this in to base. She didn't break her leg but she needs a safe place to rest so the massive sprain can heal up."

Christopher put on his helmet and pressed a button near ear level of his helmet. "Mama Bear, we have an injured civilian. Requesting permission for a bunk in the citadel." There was some noise generated from his helmet. "What do you mean denied?" there was an even longer bit of noise. "I understand, over and out."

Christopher removed his helmet. "We don't have any room for her. Two civilians were taken in and one of them was shot. Holiday, you think you could 'lose' a leg brace."

Holiday put on a smile. A thing I thought impossible in this dammed world. Ok now I see why language is a problem.

"I rec'n I could lose one and say something about selling it for more needed supplies." Holiday said with a bit of a country accent.

Trader Tom jumped up from his seat on the counter and ran to the back room. After much clattering and crashing he came back out with a crutch and small metal box with a black cross painted on it.

"Use this for a little extra support. And this is for you." He said as he handed me the crutch and the knights the metal medical box.

Holiday nodded after putting the medical box in his bigger medical box. "Well thank ya kindly sir."

"Anything for the Knights of the New Enclave, go and show Eden how to really change America."

The two Enclave knights did a mock salute and in unison cried "SIR YES SIR!"

The two then left Tom and me alone.

Tom left out the front door and began stripping the Talon Company bodies of their armor and packs.

"What are you doing!?" I asked in shock, my braced leg feeling much better as I hobbled out the front door to his side.

"Scavenging." He then sighed. "Look, dead people aren't using their stuff anymore. Take what you need and a little bit of what you don't to sell. Back where you're from must be peachy, but take a good look. Striping the dead of necessities is a fact of life you need to learn quickly here." He then threw me a nearly exact copy of his Chinese Assault Rifle from the one that offered to forget a payment if he could have his way with me.

Strangely it didn't feel like revenge taking from him and the others after Tom told me that.

I managed to scavenge 2 clips for the rifle and some empty magazines for my 10mm pistol. I also managed to snag a small pouch with 10 caps in it.

If you had to use some form of currency, it had to be knockoff Sparkle-cola caps.

I would kill (again) for a can or bottle of that fizzy carrot flavored drink Vinyl got me hooked on. But no, only Nuka-cola as far as the eyes currently see. (At least 2 vending machines so far down the street and an advertisement painted on the side of a building.)

I now had 2 rifle clips plus the one in my rifle, and the one remaining full magazine in my pistol.

Tom let me take one of their belts and a single edged, semi-serrated knife he called a combat knife. (Sheath included)

We went back inside after Tom dragged the bodies into an ally and deposited them in an empty dumpster.

I took a seat on the counter with Tom.

"So what now." I asked him.

"Well, now I give you even more stuff." He then ran back to his little back room for more items. In his hand was a medical brace for your arm with some added attachments.

I looked at the strange contraption of wires and circuits. A row of 3 battery cell looking things were attached to a circuit which had some sort of gauge on it. There was another set of wires connected to a speaker and dial.

"What is that?" I asked at the sight of the technological abomination.

"Homemade pip-boy, my current models only have a rad meter, Geiger counter, and a radio."

So that's what was on everyone's front leg in Canterlot. "I recognize the radio but what is a Geiger counter?"

Tom seemed amused that I didn't know this trivial information.

"It's a device which tells if an area is irradiated or not. The rad meter tells how many rads you currently have absorbed. The colors represent stages of rad-sickness and green equals no sickness."

"So what does red mean?"

Tom let out a chuckle. "Heh, red means dead." He bluntly replied.

I looked at the exposed circuits and wires. "Do you have any that don't pose a risk of electrocution?"

"I actually have 2 complete, although it took me forever to find enough plastic to melt for the casings and to get the shape right. I'll go get one."

He came back nearly 10 seconds later with a complete one. The plastic was melted and reshaped into a crude case fitted over the radio dial, speaker, and rad meter hiding the Geiger counter and other circuts.

"Real ones are tough as nails and the case surrounds the whole arm, not half of it."

I slipped it on and adjusted the straps to fit my arm, the thin black plastic pip-boy looking really sexy on my left arm.

Seriously do all things here come in black? If so, please get me a black wood cello.

"Where did you get the parts and black plastic from?" I asked out of curiosity.

Tom banged a hand on the radio. "Old Radiation King radios for the radios obviously. The other parts you can find everywhere because people were preparing for a nuclear war." He then pointed towards the door. "The plastic is from the combat armor of the Talon Company bastards, because it's too dangerous to sell their armor to people to wear because it's a quick way to get shot in the wrong crowd."

"So what is the Enclave, some sort of military force?"

"Yes for both. Which one you want to know about?"

I looked at Tom and shrugged. "Tell me about both."

"Tune your radio to 9.33 FM"

I looked at the radio dial. A few channels were painted on the case so I tuned into the one marked 9.33.

A cacophony erupted from the speaker, an obnoxiously cheery tune on a flute that sounded like something Pinkie Pie would play.

An authority like voice came over the radio and grabbed my attention. "Good evening America. This is your president John Henry Eden, and it's time we had a Talk.

"There are those amongst us that would hope to shatter our hopes for peace, order, and prosperity. Let's take a tally of these agitators shall we. We all know about the Raiders of Evergreen Mills those anarchistic ruffians praying on all, stealing murdering, let's not forget the irradiated ghouls of Underworld, and let's not forget the hideously mutated supermutants that have all but overrun the city of Washington D.C."

"Then there is the Brotherhood of Steel. Oh, don't be fooled by their pseudo-knightly nonsense or their supposed connections to the United States Army, these power armored boy scouts don't care about you. They don't care about America! All they care about is fulfilling their own selfish desires. And they have the audacity, to take this country's most important military installation, The Pentagon, as their own personal clubhouse! All they are is common criminals with access to some antiquated technology."

"Then there are the outcasts, who are just as dangerous, or even more so being in exile. And finally there are outcasts amongst the Enclave as well. They have abandoned the great nation of America to roam the wastes, supposedly helping towns to get close. Then they stab their supposed friends in the back. Do not trust these rebels for they wish to undo all the progress already made by the great and true Enclave."

"I'm sorry but I really must go now. For there is much to be done in this great nation but well, well, *he-he*, change takes time. Goodbye sweet America. We shall meet again soon."

His intoxicating voice left for the obnoxious cheery music that I recognized was close to Cranky-Doodle Dandy, A song, of course, made by Pinkie Pie.

I turned off the radio and looked at Tom. "So the people that helped us are bad?"

Tom facehanded. "No, did you hear that total brahmin shit coming from his mouth?"

I wasn't actually listening to the message. I was far too entranced by his voice to not think about lifting my tail for the owner of that near orgasm inducing voice.

"Eden is lying through his wires. Everyone now knows that he really is some defective pre-war computer. Then the asshole bombed the only working mass water purifier we have after a giant robot went and blew up two thirds of his army. The remaining 1 third split in two. Loyal to Eden, and The Knights of the New Enclave."

Great, the owner of the voice that I would gladly jump in bed with was a machine. Well now that I think of it, there have been worse fetishes.

Now back to the conversation with a real person. "So Eden's Enclave is bad and the other Enclave is good?"

Tom sighed and looked at the ground. "They have good intentions. But just like the Brotherhood of Steel, they bit off more they can chew."

"So you are trying to say is that they can't handle being the good guys? Why not pair up with the Brotherhood of Steel if they have the same intentions."

"They don't get along. The long history between them keeps it that way. Surprised enough good ones teamed up to make a change in the wasteland. Probably about 50 or less in the wasteland. They are recruiting from towns that accept them as the new way to go. Megaton is probably the biggest town that accepted their rule and bout the only town too. Only because the unofficial leader of the town was the sheriff so there was no official mayor. They held an election for mayor that, not surprisingly, Luca Simms the town's sheriff / unofficial mayor now official one, won. Also if you want the truth no matter how bad it hurts, tune that baby into 106.5."

The last part of his sentence creped me out but I tuned into the radio. A lovely depressing little love song about setting the world on fire played for a few minutes.

And then an even better voice boomed through the radio.

"Heloooooooooooooooo Capitol Wasteland, It's meeee your friendly neighborhood disk jockey. What's a disk hell if I know, but old 3-Dog will keep talking anyway, and giving you the truth no matter how bad it hurts." Ok now I understand where he got that from.

"Today's forecast is cloudy with a chance to get your ass saved by the Enclave."

"But 3-Dog, didn't you preach hard and often about not believing the shit on the other station? Yes, yes I did kiddies. But a few Enclavers actually saw through Eden's lies and decided to change the Wasteland for the better after their humiliating defeats at Project Purity and beyond."

"These personal guardians delivered in angelic vertibirds must have been sent by a god I almost started to believe in. On a related note, the remaining members of the council of Rivet City unanimously decided to voluntarily step down and let the new Enclave to take over. Vertibirds can now be seen landing and taking off from the ancient aircraft carrier. In other news, The Equestrian Guard Captain, a one Shining Armor, came in to send out a quick message." There was the sound of a button being pressed over the speaker.

It was a recording of Shining Armor. "Luna If you're out there listening right now, just know that Celestia and I are looking tirelessly for you. Be safe and rest assured we will rescue you." His voice cut off for 3-Dogs.

"Now back to the music after this public service announcement. Don't be deathclaw chow. That is all."

Like Eden his broadcast cut off to some more music. This one about some guy named Pete who was a butcher or something, but I was too focused on the DJ to listen to the lyrics before I cut the radio off.

After a second I looked at Tom. "Wow that guy reminds me a lot of Vinyl Scratch. She even has a DJ name with a 3 in it. DJ Pon-3, just so you know."

Tom looked back at me with a goofy smile. "What, she your girlfriend or something, you super fangirl?"

"Yes, yes she is."

Tom fell backwards off the counter and came back up in a laughing fit.

"Damn, and here I thought I had a shot with you. Well fuck, taken and homo."

"I knew all these gifts weren't out the kindness of your heart, do you want to know a secret." I leaned forward so I was really close to his ear, and whispered. "My marefriend and I like it kinky."

The sentence had the desired effect as he nearly passed out from the head rush.

There was a knock at the door. I drew my pistol as Tom checked through an eyehole, after having to readjust his blue jeans.

"Don't worry, it's just the caravan from Canterbury Commons that passes by to trade with me once every few days. You will be leaving with him. Well later…uh…"

"Octavia, Octavia Tavi. And you're seriously trying to get me to lift my tail and don't know my name? Plus you're kicking me out just because I found you out?"

Tom chuckled and shook his head from side to side. "Honestly, I was planning on kicking you out when they got here but slip in a quickie before they did. There heading to Megaton, the safest town around besides Rivet City, but you got to get through some knee deep shit before you get there. Also it's probably a lot safer to head with a caravan than me walking you somewhere, plus they have a brahmin that could handle your light figure so you don't have to walk."

I just wanted to mess with this guy a little more before I left. "How rude, are you calling me thin and crippled." Mocking the accent Rarity tries to use.

I tried to tell that cute little powder puff that you can't do a Manehattan accent without living there first. But she didn't listen.

"I…wha…huh… I didn't mean to offend." Tom babbled as the door was knocked for a second time.

Tom opened the door and let the fellow trader in.

"I'm just fucking with you." Ok now I see why they cuss a lot, it's fucking fun. A little relief from this grim environment.

Tom was struggling to hold in laughter. Apparently my accent butchered the slang to a funny degree. "That Tenpenny Tower class attire you got on leads me to believe you to be some stuck up mightier than thou, rich girl. Well later Ms. Tavi."

Tom looked at the other trader. "Hey Crow, do you have any room on your brahmin for a rider."

Crow tapped his chin. "Yes, but I don't babysit for free. Plus you're kind of dropping this on my lap all of a sudden."

Tom thought for a second. "A fission battery and a gutted radio work for you?"

"Throw in a few of those small energy cells for my guard's laser pistol and I'll take her to the next stop."

"Deal you old Crow." He turned back to me "ladies first." and waved his arms towards the door.

Just to pick on him a little more. "Go right ahead then."

"If I'm a lady, that means you'll sleep with me right?" he replied with a big cocky smile.

Walked straight into that one didn't you Octavia old girl. "Touché" was all I could say as I blushed.

Outside Crow helped me get on top of a reddish, two-headed animal that resembled a cow. I was thankful for the lift because I started to regain the painful feeling in my leg. Crow then went back inside to trade with Tom

With a wave I blew a kiss to Trader Tom just to tease him and watched as he blushed hotly.

Now I know why changelings seduce people, it's so very much fun just having someone bend to your will like clay in a potter's hoof, well hand now.

After about five minutes Crow came back outside and we were off to Megaton.

I looked at a short boxy version of the energy rifle in the guard's hand. I heard Crow call it a laser pistol so the rectangular device on the Enclave knights back must be a laser assault rifle or something.

I decided to start a conversation. "Hey, how are you two fine gentlemen today?"

The silent treatment, it's going to be a long ride. Ahgggg!

I seriously adopted the short patience of Vinyl.

At the thought of Vinyl, I then remembered I now had a radio strapped to my arm. Now it won't be such a long trip.


	2. Chapter 2: Zecora

Chapter 2 Zecora

(AN: Zecora doesn't rhyme in my story due to that limiting her dialog and being slightly stereotypical)

(Zecora's POV: Around 5 minutes after she woke up.)

I felt cold, like I was lying down on a piece of metal.

That was probably because I was in a big metal pipe in a new world and a body not my own.

Now I was trying to walk on two legs for the first time, towards the light at the end of this rather large metal pipe, using the walls to brace myself.

It wasn't huge, but it was big enough for me to stand up on two legs completely.

"What did Luna call this? Ah, a human is what she said this was." I said to myself.

As I neared the end of the pipe the light began to get brighter. I pushed past a gap in the broken grating and was nearly blinded by the bright white light of this world's sun.

I crouched down in the part of the pipe that led up to the grating when I heard voices over the top of the muck filled trench that was under the pipe. An unnatural energy seemed to resonate off the muck populating the bottom of the litter filled trench. I saw who I guessed was Clare Onett laying face-up towards the sky in the mud. An orange metal barrel under her head kept her from drowning in the filth.

I heard a voice I recognized as the griffon's whose name escapes me. Then there was a loud bang and an ear-piercing shriek as the griffon screamed in pain.

Voices of men cackled in glee at her screaming and then they talked of defiling her in her wounded state.

She was crying in pain, gagging and coughing, when one of the voices suggested they weren't like raider's and preferred their women without extra holes.

Then another suggested killing her, and that caused the Griffon to stop crying in shock.

Then a 3rd voice, the one that sounded like he held authority over the others said something about not being worth the wasted ammo to kill, and that something I could only guess to be a native beast, called a deathclaw, to smell her blood and drag her off.

Footsteps trailed off from Gilda and I waited for a good 30 seconds before I leapt over the evil muck to the sloping side of the trench and crawled up using all fours.

Slowly I peeked over the rim of the earth to gaze upon a wounded griffon turned human lying on a cracked black street in a puddle of her own crimson liquid. She was in a fetal position crying and grabbing the wound on her stomach.

With no regard for checking to see if the rest of the area was clear. I moved over to her side and fished out one of the potent healing potions used in healing this sort of injury from my bag.

Glad I packed it and a few less potent ones.

I moved her hoof or paw or whatever you call this new limb, and looked to see if there was some sort of arrow sticking out. There wasn't but I wanted to see what caused that wound so I told her to keep pressure on the wound after I saw a shiny brass tube lying close by. I picked it up examined it.

One end was open like an uncorked bottle the other had a silver colored circle which looked like it was punched by a thin nail. I smelled the open end and discovered it faintly smelt like burnt fireworks.

This metal tube must hold a small amount of firework dust to launch a small crossbow bolt.

I went back to the griffon and moved her human paw again. Without even telling her, I felt inside her wound and quickly found a piece of metal. It looked like it hurt, but she was too weak to even unsheathe her dagger or reach for her crossbow. I pulled it out and quickly gave her the healing potion and watched as the wound closed up. Thankfully I didn't give her the potion before I discovered this, or the piece of metal would still be inside of her.

I looked at the piece of metal and the brass tube and put them together. The slightly warped, mushroom shaped piece of metal nearly matched perfectly with the brass tube.

The brass tube must be the ammo Rarity talked about for a gun, but looked much too large for a weapon the size she had.

I used a cloth I had packed to clean the blood from the area where the wound was. A small scar was all that remained.

The griffon looked drained, a few more minutes with that wound, and her bright yellow eyes would be closed in death.

I remembered Clare Onett and Candlelight. I told the white haired griffon turned human to stay where she was and I moved to where I saw Clare.

I nearly leapt out my skin when the energy in the muck began to run right through me. I grabbed Clare's shirt and dragged her up the embankment. I pressed my new paw like limb to her chest and felt no heartbeat.

Whatever energy was in that ditch must have killed her before she woke up. The pipe must be far enough away from the muck to shield me from the harmful effects. But where was…

"Hey, anyone out there!"

I never jumped higher in my life. Apparently Candlelight appeared in this world further back in the pipe I was in. Just as I did, she walked using the pipe's side as a brace.

I picked my mother's black beret off the ground and placed it back over my black and white striped mane which I flattened from its normal Mohawk to fit the beret. If I ever lost this…I don't know what I would do.

Candlelight, just like the griffon, had a tannish white hue to their skin compared to my light black color.

She was in black jeans and a red button up shirt. She was wearing a nylon belt with a sheath knife on her hip. Her blond mane was tied up like my friend Applejack's in a ponytail except for a blue tie instead of a red.

I saw her make the motion to jump down from the pipe down into the evil mud.

"Stop!" I yelled in warning. She backpedaled and fell on her rear.

"What!?" she called back annoyed, not seeing the invisible danger.

"Can't you feel the energy coming from the mud? It's dangerous and it already killed Clare."

Her human paw went over her now open mouth and her grey eyes went wide in shock.

"Jump to the side. It's only the mud that has the foul energy."

Candlelight nodded and jumped. Landing almost exactly where I landed.

I looked at Candlelight. "Quick I need your help." Was all I could say before I ran over to a now unconscious griffon with Candlelight in tow.

Candlelight scoffed. "Leave her. She's not our problem."

"What did you say?" I asked fearing I heard her right.

"Leave her. Gilda Grimfeathers is nothing but a stupid useless griffon with anger issues. I was in Ponyville for her visit."

Did she say Grimfeathers?

"She's the most hated person in Equestria. Stupid griffon crashed one epic Pinkie Party."

I punched her. Hard.

"Ow, what the Hell?" She said as she held her nose.

"Look at us, were all the same now! Now if you don't help me than you can gladly leave me with her and try your luck alone!"

She stormed off holding her nearly broken nose but stopped and took a good look at the decaying city ruins and rubble filled streets.

"Stupid griffon loving zebra" she grumbled as she walked back. She acted like I didn't hear that. It isn't a lie when I say we would not be talking.

I picked up Gilda and her crossbow. The two of us carried her by throwing her arms over our shoulders.

We moved deeper into the city to hopefully find help for her because she lost a lot of blood.

After a while of walking, we came across a ruined 2 story (possibly more, but the roof or the other floors were missing) building with open double doors.

Candlelight spotted something and ran inside, leaving me to carry Gilda who I set against the wall outside of the right door.

I didn't get to go inside before there was the sound of a baby crying.

It was off somehow, like it was slightly mechanical. Then there was a *chirr* sound and a loud boom.

I knew she must have walked straight into a trap.

Candlelight stumbled out. Her body covered in cuts from the explosion. A large sharp piece of jagged metal was stuck close to where Gilda was shot with the gun. She collapsed and gurgled out a weak "Help me." before she closed her eyes and drew her last breath.

Oh, how karma works sometimes. She's dead and no longer my problem.

Don't think like that Zecora, this isn't Zebrica again.

I heard from somewhere in the building a male say something too far away to understand.

The mysterious male in patchwork armor walked out and began looting Candlelight's body. Unaware Gilda and I were right behind him.

My razor sharp kukri knife made short work of the trap layer. He didn't even have time to turn and draw the oversized kitchen knife at his side before he died.

I looted the corpse of the trapper, I didn't take his knife or a bottle of very muddy looking water, but was rewarded by a bag of 3 bottle caps, lucky me.

I picked Gilda up like I had before with Candlelight and moved on. Not wanting to search the building and come across more traps or the possibility of more people like him.

It was hard carrying Gilda by myself. I walked with her for about 9 minutes before I saw what at first I thought were changeling drones fighting a large tan colored lizard beast.

I quickly realized the green fire was coming from their weapons and one was firing red streams of light from some sort of cannon he carried. The weapons made different sounds than the gun that nearly killed Gilda. If words could describe sound, the word would be pew-pew.

Speaking of killed, the giant tan lizard like creature was now dead.

3 figures dressed in black armor were now standing triumphantly over the tan colored beast.

I put Gilda out of sight and snuck up so I could get a better look at these not-changelings.

I hid behind a blue colored human carriage and listened.

"Woo-wee that was a tough one. Damn deathclaws are getting more and more common. Thing would've killed us if it wasn't for your Gatling laser Murphy."

The one I guessed was Murphy had a backpack looking device connected the cannon that was shooting the streaks of red. He used one of his human paws to slap its side.

"Steve, here is what I say to deathclaws. Brute force: If it isn't working, you're just not using enough."

Steve just laughed. "That a tip for them or a way to beat them smartass?"

Murphy just held up the middle limb of his right human paw in an obvious rude gesture.

"Will you two cut it out!? If I hear a word from the both of you before we make it back to base so help me god that ill have you scrubbing the urinals with your tongs!" The 3rd one barked out.

These guys are definitely military. Ok now it was time to reveal myself.

"Hey!" I called out from my hiding spot.

"Whose there!" The angry one called back.

"Don't shoot, I'm coming out." I said in my normal volume as I got up from my hiding spot.

"Knights dressed in black, you are lucky you are not this monster's snack." I rhymed trying to joke.

The leader of the group came forward. He and Steve had some sort of gun that shot green liquid fire. How in the world they managed that, I didn't know, but these weapons weren't for show.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Zecora Rivera, I need to ask for your help. My friend lost a lot of blood when she was attacked and needs a safe place to rest, only until she wakes up if necessary."

"Smart Bomb, Steve. Head with the civilian." He then pressed his paw to his helmet. "Mama Bear this Is Papa Bear. We are transferring a wounded civilian back to base. Tell Bonesaw or Holiday to prep a table." A few mumbles came from some internal speaker. "Well go. If your friend is hurt, we need to get moving."

I quickly ran back to Gilda with the 2 black armored knights following.

"SHIT SHE'S TALON COMPANY!" Steve yelled and readied his weapon.

Without thinking I jumped in front of Gilda to protect her from the knight.

"Hold your fire Steven!" Papa Bear yelled, saving me from being shot.

"Thorn, she's Talon Company!" Murphy, the one Papa Bear called Smart Bomb yelled back.

I concluded Thorn's nickname Papa Bear signified he was the commander of the unit.

Thorn walked up and removed his helmet. He was bald with a black goatee with a few white hairs, and his skin was the same color as mine.

"I said hold your fire. If you took a second to realize that no Talon Company mercs are stupid enough to ask help from us!"

Murphy and Steven looked at each other, shrugged, and picked up Gilda who was now babbling something.

"Hang on" I whispered as I followed the knights down the streets of the ruined city past the corpse the actual Talon Company hoped would find Gilda. The thing had claws that would make a Diamond Dog green with envy.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking through rubble, we made it to a grey, 4 story building that looked largely intact (except for as usual in the buildings it was missing the roof) surrounded by stacked human carriages making a wall. The gap in the carriages was populated by a black colored machine on a tripod that ended in treaded balls and a knight with another Gatling laser like Murphy's.

It looked like the top half of the machine was modeled after a human, and with a mechanical voice it grumbled out "Scanning area."

Must be an automated sentry of some sorts. Impressive. Much more complex than the basic unicorn magic powered robots back in Equestria.

The weapons that took place of its arms looked massive, one consisted of six metal tubes that I figured out must be what guides the metal shot from the ammo for a gun. The other looked like it had a firework sticking out the end of it.

Inside we were briskly taken up to the 3rd story where a doctor in a grey lab coat adorned by a white E surrounded in white stars on the shoulder took Gilda and set her on a table.

The 3rd floor was nothing more than a small room populated by a few beds filled with patients and scattered other various medical related items, like a few grey metal desks with some sort of TV looking things on it with buttons and a glowing green screen, or little bedside trays populated by surgical tools or food for the occupants of the many filled beds. The grey concrete floor doing nothing to help liven the dreary scenery.

The Dr. and a few knights stripped Gilda down to the clothing under her armor and began examining her. For a female she was really well built. She didn't have huge muscles but she did have noticeable ones.

The doctor looked at me and shrugged. "What's wrong with her?"

"She was shot with this and lost a lot of blood." I said as I fished out the brass tube and the piece of metal.

"A 5.56 round. The bullet still has blood on it but where is the wound?"

"The wound is gone. She just lost a lot of blood."

He looked a little bit confused. "Ok…how long ago was this? No wound heals that fast."

"I just gave her a healing potion I brought with me."

The doctor now looked even more confused.

I drew my knife and cut my left arm. I took one of my weak healing potions, the kind used for minor scrapes and cuts out of my bag, and downed the syrupy bitter tasting liquid.

The doctor was shocked at the spot of discolored skin that replaced a cut that was just there.

"Help my friend and I can see if I can make some here for you. The people here obviously need medical supplies you don't have."

He practically squeed with anticipation as he ran to help Gilda.

I turned around to find a place to sit only to walk straight into a knight.

"Hey watch it civi." a feminine voice said through the scary helmet. Surprised these are the good guys.

"Sorry." Was the only response I had for her.

"It's alright, I wasn't looking like I should have. I'm Sara Carter, engineer and quartermaster. I just stopped by to ask you to disarm and hand any firearms, grenades, knifes, or any other deadly weapon over to me. We can't have an armed civilian walking around and intentionally or accidentally hurt someone."

I nodded in agreement at the valid point and handed her Gilda's crossbow and my mother's kukri knife and sheath.

With my black and red uniform I looked right at home with the knights and the few that walked around in dark green uniforms and black hats, my guess was officers. They carried what looked like small versions of the green fire shooting guns.

With Gilda unconscious I decided to head to the top floor. Surprisingly no one seemed to notice me, and those that did gave me a salute. This uniform blends in well with all the black armor.

The top floor was barren except for massive amounts of rubble, a radio operator in an officer uniform and hat. (who was talking about denying something then said that two civilians were in the base and one was shot, most likely talking about Gilda and me), and a helmetless knight at a window with a rather large gun.

As I walked close there was a loud bang from the firearm and a brass case flew out after he moved his human paw over a piece, pulled up, and then back. He then reversed the steps to put a new bullet in and fired again.

The case chiming on the ground sent an unexpected wave of pleasure through me.

The weapon absolutely fascinated me. The look of it, the sound of it, and even the smell of the smoke from the shots pulled me towards it.

"You just going to gawk at me all day?" The brown haired, helmetless knight said as he looked through what looked like a telescope on top of the weapon.

"I was just wondering about your gun."

"Please, I need my focus."

"I just wanted to…" I was cut off by a *shhh* from him as he shifted slightly and fired.

"Another mutant bites the dust. Wait a second I think his buddy saw me." a few pieces of concrete outside were spattered by shots from some other guns.

"Yes, yes he did!" The knight exclaimed as he got away from his window perch. Apparently he ran out of shots.

I saw he was unhurt and looked at him with a smile. "You still have your concentration."

He rolled his eyes. "Dell Hargrove is my name. But you can just call me Jun."

"Zecora Rivera, and why the nickname Jun if you may?"

A sly grin came across his face. "It's all you get to say of June before my bullet splits your head like a melon."

I shuddered at the thought of my head being turned into paste like a cantaloupe dropped off the balcony of Thee Oaks Library for one of Twilight's experiments with gravity.

I quickly made my way back downstairs to Gilda who was still unconscious. I wanted to be with her when she wakes up so she doesn't try and kill anybody.

Downstairs I bumped into the doctor and I talked with him. I discovered his name was Andrew Nichols.

And to my shock his nickname was Bonesaw. Do not want to know how he earned it.

He told me he had given Gilda something called a blood transfusion and moved her to one of the beds. (Whatever the blood transfusion was, it sounded like some complex operation.)

It didn't surprise me that he told me I owed a hundred caps for helping Gilda.

I didn't have the money so against my better judgment I sold him Gilda's armor, which was probably what got her shot in the first place. I managed to get 200 caps back for it that I intended on giving Gilda.

He then reminded me that I needed to make some healing potions.

I told him I would after Gilda woke up and he actually went over to a desk and set its chair next to the bed Gilda was moved to. To be scary armor clad warriors, they were surprisingly normal acting.

Guess I shouldn't judge a book by its cover like the people in Ponyvill once done to me.

I sat down and talked with him for a short while. We discussed what all my new body parts were called so I wouldn't sound out of place when talking. The same reason I quit rhyming when I spoke in public places.

After he left to help some patients I felt very sleepy. So I turned the chair towards Gilda's bed and fell asleep using my arms as a pillow.

(Perspective Change, Gilda's POV: Around 1hr after Zecora falls asleep beside her)

I cracked open my eyelids. I felt like that little wimp Pinkie Pie zapped me with her overpowered joy buzzer again.

I leaned up and rubbed my face with what used to be my right claws, which now had a lightly bloody piece of gauze taped over a vein and looked around.

I was in a hospital of sorts. Beds all in a neat row were all filled with patients.

I heard someone snoring to my right and looked.

Zecora was using her arms as pillows to sleep beside me in a chair. Surprised my shifting didn't wake her, but if she felt half as drained as me she would definitely sleep through a Grifhalan volcano eruption.

Did she really save my life? Everyone hates me.

I gritted my teeth in my new mouth when I began remembering the fragments of time I was conscious on the way here.

I remembered 3 men in armor that was exactly like mine. When I said hey and talked with them they shot me and talked about raping me, lucky one of them had half a heart or was just worried he would get my blood on him.

Then I remembered that one of the other girls that came with me said leave me. I remembered the sweet sound when Zecora hit her and defended me.

And when she jumped in front of something to protect me, another weapon like the one that black armored copy-cat shot me with perhaps?

Wait…what? Zecora defended me. The most hated person in all of Equestria just because of that little twerp Pinkie Pie bugging me and Dash. If I could sink my claws into that little piece of meat I would…uggghh forget it. I'm too tired to be angry right now. I have more important things to worry about, like why the flying feathers did Zecora physically harm someone in my defense and jump straight into harm's way.

Then I remembered her over the body of one of the other girls and the body of someone else wile holding a bloody knife.

Little harmless hermit Zecora killed someone?

I needed to take a walk and ponder this matter before I ask her about it, so I moved the thin white sheet that covered me and found out I was out of my armor.

Great, half naked in a world where that's the fastest way to pinned under some random crazy with a blood fetish.

I leaned back down, recovered myself, and shook Zecora who awoke with a start. She then smiled at me and seemed happy I was safe.

My throat was dry. Like sand is wetter compared to how dry my throat is right now.

"Water." I said with a rasp.

She looked at me funny before finally connecting the dots in her mind and then retrieved a canteen of water from the bag at her side.

I took a few greedy gulps of the refreshingly cool liquid and handed her back a now very light canteen.

"Where are the others?" I said in my normal voice.

She looked sad. I knew what was coming. "Dead."

I leaned up fully and slid back against the wall while holding the cover over the black cloth I was wearing under the armor that was over my breast to keep from chafing so I could keep spying eyes away.

A male doctor in a grey lab coat came over holding a bundle of clothes and set them at the end of the bed.

"What happened to them?" I guessed the male that Zecora killed, killed the one that suggested leaving me to die.

"Clare was killed by some evil energy I never felt before. Candlelight was killed in an explosion when she went to check something out. It sounded like a recording of a baby's cry before the explosion."

The doctor looked at us. "Radiation and a baby carriage with frag-mines tied to a proximity sensor and recording of a baby. Classic raider trap, they used to have the mines exposed but now they started covering them and putting whole baby dolls instead of just the head in the carriage. Make you think it's an actual baby, and then bang, you're dead."

That was a bit grim. I don't have the best attitude, but that was downright dark, seriously who the fuck puts recordings of babies as a trap? If I see any raider I'll make them eat one of them fag-mines and see how they like exploding.

The doctor walked off like he never even spoke with us and I looked at Zecora who was just happy to see me alive.

She is acting way to nice to me. Does she? Oh no, no, no, no…Gilda does not fly like that!

Calm down you're just blowing this out of proportion. Why would she, this is hardly the place.

I saw Zecora was looking at me with a worried look on her face. "Is something wrong Gilda?"

The way she said it was like she was asking a lover if she was all right. I couldn't take it. She was being way too kind to me to just try and be friendly. I didn't want anyone to notice us and get any ideas so I whispered as quietly as my anger allowed.

"Why are you helping me all the time? I remember that you nearly took a shot for me and you punched one of the other girls in the face for suggesting leaving me and calling me a stupid griffon. Are you trying to show off and kiss up to me so you can ask me out? I'm not like that but I can understand if you're attracted to me so just go ahead and tell me so I can say no."

Zecora looked hurt at the accusation. Why was I so horrible with people? I couldn't even keep hold of my only friend.

Zecora reached inside her uniform and pulled out some hidden tags with a heart shaped locket and slid them over her head and tossed them to me.

I grabbed the flying collection of silver colored objects by the locket. A silver heart engraved with a black and white stripped Z adorned the hatch.

I opened the locket to look at a photo of a male and female zebra.

The female was dressed in the uniform Zecora was wearing and the male was wearing one that looked just like it except for it was blue and gold instead of black and red.

The male was also wearing a white cap instead of the black beret. The cap was adorned by a gold shield emblem.

It was a photo of a police officer and a soldier, Zecora's parents.

I looked at the first dog tag. Kalani Rivera, the name of Zecora's mother.

I looked at the second tag. Zecora Rivera, the name of the woman by my bedside.

She was a soldier, her mother was a soldier, and her father a police officer.

Was it some leave no one left behind honor code she learned in service?

She began messing with her uniform and pointed to a spot near where I guessed the human heart was.

White threads were sewn into a spot on the black fabric. It didn't look like a repair for a rip, but a stab cutting the fabric

"Zebrica, the country in which I was born and raised, isn't like Equestria or Grifhala. Potion makers learned how to make more 'recreational' substances in their free time. Drugs quickly became a problem and Zebrica became a warzone for battles between police and the kings over the devilish potions. My home city of Zebrica, the capitol and the name of the country, was the worst hit. I grew up fearing that on my way walking to school the drug kings and police would get into a fight on my way there."

"I also feared for my father's life. He was a police officer who worked against the new drug cartels."

"The police alone weren't enough and soon the Zebrican army was sent into help clean the drug kings out of the capitol, which pulled my mother into the fighting."

Zecora looked at the floor. "What I feared would happen did happen. I remember like it was yesterday, all those years ago when both the police chief and an officer of the army shown up at my front door. They were both killed in a failed raid on one of the drug warehouses. The reason the raid failed was the gang's boss was present so security was tighter and better trained."

"My parent's were killed with my mother's own sword after they were captured. 13 other officers and soldiers also were killed in the failed raid."

"I was hurt, confused, angry. I quit school and joined the army. I somehow managed to get myself issued my mother's old uniform and weapons after I got out of training."

"After a long 2 years and a body count on both sides I try and forget, we were sent to raid a gang meeting. Several bosses would be there and it was our only chance to knock them all out in one go. We went in and cleaned the place out. I admit I got a lot of blood on me that night. Amongst those I killed in the fighting was the very same boss that was present when my parents were killed. After that with the crime in the city of Zebrica under control, I had enough of it and resigned after my service was up. I took my mother's old sword to the graveyard and left it on her marker."

"After that, I used the bits I had to purchase a boat ticket and passport and immigrated to Equestria. There I found the Everfree Forest was bountiful with rare herbs and ingredients for potions, and used all the tricks my mother taught me when she was on leave to live on my own because I didn't want to be around others after all the killing."

I looked at her, I was calmer after I seen that it wasn't her trying to win my affection, but something a lot more personal.

She breathed a few times before she continued. "Gilda, in the raid I was a part of, I was saved by a Griffon sent to help aid us from the Grifhalan military. He took a throwing spear for me."

So that's why she done all this.

"That Griffon's name, was Gregory Grimfeathers, your father."

Wait...Dad!?

"I didn't know you existed until I seen the similarities before we left. The scar, the armor, the weapons, all just like the brave Griffon that flew into the path of a spear giving his life, to save someone he didn't know."

Tears began rolling from my eyes. All they told mom and I, was that he died in combat and didn't even have the kindness to tell what country or how he died. Now I know it was saving a life.

A life that in turn, saved the one of his legacy on the world.

A legacy that only shuns him by being a cruel, friendless, hotheaded, and spiteful brat.

I wrapped Zecora in a hug and threw away my anger of her seeing me cry and just let my bottled-up emotions flow out with each sob.

She was crying a bit also, but I didn't want to pick on her for it, I wanted to cry even more with her.

She brought me closure for my dad after saving my life. I thought I was going to die, my whole life even played out in my head.

And when your life flashes before your eyes you realize you made a bunch of mistakes. I owed it to dad to change. Change from the daughter that would be remembered as the most hated Griffon in Equestria, to the most loved.

"Thank you." I said when I finally managed to stop crying. Normally I would have yelled at anyone that seen me crying but now, I want to change all that.

"You're welcome… I know this is a sad and joyous moment…but you're still undressed."

I yelped and broke from the hug and dived for the clothes left for me.

A simple blue dress, and my black boots. I wasn't the kind of griffon to dress up, but I'll take almost anything to get covered, even a dress. Something about these new bodies made me feel ashamed to let others see me in the undergarments I wore.

After I was dressed, I laid back down to listen to Zecora give me the crash course on my new body-parts and guns. Like the one I was shot with. That hurt worse (only by a little) than her plunging the little limbs she called fingers into the wound to get the bullet out.

She was especially interested in what she described as a shoulder fired cannon that sounds like a dragon and breathes smoke and fire like one too.

Apparently she figured the telescope on top of it was for shooting something far away. How far could these human crossbow gun things fire? Then she said that the bullets that she seen were all different sizes.

So that means bigger and smaller guns? Apparently so, because what I was shot with looked like it had a metal banana coming out the bottom. The one she said is on the roof has a box shaped bullet holder. And Rarity had a small looking gun she called Maria.

After she was done, I laid back down to fall asleep because my head was spinning worse than the time Rainbow Dash and I broke into her Dad's liquor cabinet. He-he…fun times.

When I make it back to Equestria, I'm going to fix everything, starting with my only friend, well ex-friend Rainbow Dash. Actually couldn't I consider Zecora a friend?

I would think on it after my blood loss induced hangover cleared.


	3. Chapter 3: Home Is Where You Make It

Chapter 3 Home is Where You Make It

(AN: The Equestrians that went through with Celestia have been here long enough to know what all there new limbs are called and how to use guns.)

(Spitfire's POV: a few days before Luna's rescue team arrives in Washington DC)

I sat by the half of a green metal barrel I used for a fire pit on my haunches. It was getting darker but the sun still clearly lit the street below. My house faced away from the setting sun so I was in a bit more darkness than the rest of the city outside the room I was in.

I sipped on a Nuka-cola letting the fizzy beverage tickle my throat on the way down and watched as my recently acquired watch like rad meter work its way closer to the yellow.

Well great, I just realized I have no sleeve on this arm.

My blue Academy officer uniform was now held together by nothing more than a few threads, dumb luck, and a piece of duct tape.

More pressing than clothing, I needed to find some Rad-away soon. You learn fast about radiation or die puking you're guts up.

That girl named Joana with the funny named dog taught me a good bit on surviving here and how to use the vast amount of weaponry here.

I dangled Blazewing's tags in my free hand, the silver glowed a slight orange as the flames danced light around the room. He was the only other pegasus and person with me when we came through and were split up from the others.

A mutant had pummeled him to death then impaled him with a long metal pipe, his blue Wonderbolt jumpsuit doing shit to protect him. So now the warm comforting fire and radio were my only companions.

I was in the 3rd floor of a building with a walkway connecting to a building across a road. I built a place to call home after Celestia dammed us to die here.

I removed my shades and looked into the one uncracked lens. A face I didn't recognize as my own staring back from the pitch black glass.

My orange and yellow hair was a mess. Caked with dirt, soot from my fire, and blood. A few scars upset the symmetry of the face I had yet to accept as my own.

The radio played tunes fitting for this hell, depressing enough to make you want to end it all, yet cheery enough to keep you going. The DJ sliced the gloom to shreds when he came on but that was only for a little bit in-between songs at random intervals, his charismatic voice drawing my attention and putting a slight smile on my face when he cracked a joke.

I didn't worry about the lumbering simpleminded brutes Joana called supermutants, or muties for short. Working and running radios were all over so they didn't take it as out of the norm, and they rarely venture into the buildings.

I looked around my new home. A duffle bag and sleeping bag I scavenged was in the corner, my fire pit in the center, and my radio on a lone table by a window. The dull grey floor only decorated by a lone rug by the door. This room was the most intact and highest up so naturally I claimed it as my own.

I chewed on some of my food I had cooked. I found meat was surprisingly tasty. Oversized rats were common and it doesn't take much to take one down or long to cook. I had to jump over a moral boundary to do it, but vegan centered diets are a quick path to starvation here and it tried to eat me first.

Boredom led to me making weapons. Then making weapons became my pastime in the days or weeks that I lost track of since I was stranded here on Celestia's one way train ride into hell.

Simple knives made out of scrap metal were the easiest for me to make. In the weeks or months or however long I was here, I honed my craft to a near art. The blades I made nearly rivaled the sharpness of the throwing knife in my boot.

I was getting restless so I decided to take a peek on the bridge connecting the two buildings with the binoculars I brought for scouting.

3 of the green bastards walked down the street, unaware this ex-pegasus was death from above.

I grabbed a pair of my knives and the empty Nuka-cola bottle and dashed down to the second floor.

I was perched under the bridge and ready, a knife in each hand. The 3 mutants, a helmeted one and two regular ones, were nearly under my pouncing zone.

I laid down a knife and waited for them to get right below me before I threw the bottle.

Rubble falling is common, but the crisp sound of glass shattering caught their attention quick. I grabbed the knife I laid down and leapt from my perch.

I was satisfied when I sunk the homemade blades deep into the eye socket of helmet mutant and the neck of a regular.

I grabbed my throwing knife from my boot and before the remaining regular had time to react I threw the blade with practiced precision, hitting home between his now crossed eyes.

The hulk collapsed with a hearty *thunk* and I retrieved my blades and began looting.

3 hunting rifle clips and their ammo, loose bullets for assault rifles, 21 bottle caps, a 2 by 4 with nails in one end, a .32caliber hunting rifle, and helmeted mutie's assault rifle and its clip. A nice catch.

I stopped dead in my tracks when my gaze fell upon a figure dressed in dirty tan shits and pants. Tan colored wrappings concealed his face and formed fingerless gloves and shoes for him.

He was armed with a metal pipe that ended in a piece of jagged metal, a spear I would have to copy later.

"Hey!" I called out getting silence in return.

It moved forward and readied its spear point in my direction. It was human in size but clearly wasn't a raider or Talon Company.

"Listen dipshit, I took out 3 muties with goddamn knives. Do you think fucking with me is a good idea?"

No response, only moving closer. "Fuck it" I muttered before I threw one of my homemade daggers at it.

With inhuman speed it dashed out the way and charged forward.

A second dagger, a second doge. It was closing in fast.

I picked up the hunting rifle.

"Doge this bitch" *Bang*

It collapsed dead mere feet from me. Surprised it hadn't thrown the spear at me.

I cautiously moved in to inspect it. It was clearly dead. A hole blew right through where its heart was supposed to be.

I unwrapped the strips of cloth to see its face. What I Imagined as some macabre generated burned up horror underneath the wraps, was really a normal bald human.

I searched him and found a holotape recording.

I lugged all my new supplies to my home, stoked the fire, and added a few useless pre-whateverthehellhappend books and retook my seat.

I pulled out the recording from my satchel and pressed the play button on the square device.

"Who are you?" the familiar voice the mutants all share asked.

"Your servant master." A male voice replied.

"Prove it stupid human."

"How master?"

"In next room, two humans need killed. You kill them."

"Yes master." The male replied obediently.

"Take this. Killing humans should be done with this.

There was the sound of a pistol slide drawing back.

The male took a few audible steps on the recording and then the sound of steam.

A few more steps and more steam.

"Thank god, this guy is armed. Let's get out of here." *Bang-thud*

"What the hell? You shot him! Oh-no no no no no no!" *Bang-ahhhh!-thud* "*cough* You motherfucker! You betrayed your own kind!"

A few steps.

"No, only serving my master." *bang*

The recording ended there.

I was pretty sure that I just heard a human follow a mutants orders to murder other humans.

I looked at the spear I took along with the recording when I returned. My house now a small armory.

Light yet not flimsy, the blade a good length and sharpness was acceptable. My torn outer jacket and inner shirt would do little to protect me from it. A little duct tape, scrap metal, and a few pieces from mutant body armor and I could armor myself like Joana's jumpsuit.

Shame desecrating the Wonderbolt Academy Officer uniform though by adding unauthorized accessories but who gives a fuck now, better alive after violating a rule that no longer applies to you than in one of the mutants gore bags decorating a light pole.

I was now tired and I rolled out my sleeping bag in the corner. I kept the hunting rifle right by my side. I preferred its slower firing instead of the bouncy assault rifle.

Well time for sleep.

Same shit different day.

Wait pounce, wait ponce. It was getting old so I decided to try taking shots at mutants.

Bit a fucking good that did. All it managed to do was get me shot at before I could shoot straight.

*Bang* dead mutie, *Bang* another one.

The squads of three were being wiped out at a rate that I was surprised the idiots hadn't got this thought. "Well M you see all our dead brothers on this street, like WTF is up with that?"

I chuckled at my thought.

Back to more killing and more looting, I was surprised that one actually had 3 bags of rad-away and some med-x.

After the last round of killing both my shade's lenses were now cracked and on the verge of falling apart completely. Oh well, I'll just wait till a mutant with a fashion sense comes along.

I decided it was time to go looking for some things other than weaponry for my house. Several stores littered the area so I would have to run across some knick-knack that would liven my new home up.

After leaving my home, I moved over to an intact store nearby. Of course it was locked.

I pulled out my throwing knife and a bobby pin, (It paid off being a little rebellious.) and began messing with the lock. It opened with a satisfying click that was all too easy to procure from the door. I went inside the store and began rummaging to my heart's content. I managed to scavenge a few bottles of whisky, a new rug, and many types of ammo oddly enough. I also managed to snag quite a few ruined books to burn. I shoved all I could carry in the duffle bag and exited the premises.

When I made my way back to the entrance of the building that housed my room, I froze at the sight of the very large reptile eating to its hearts content.

So that's where all the bodies go off to, eaten by one of these giant lizard things. I believe the DJ called them deathclaws.

At the sight of its claws it was using to cut its meat, I would have to agree with the name.

It turned to face me, a strip of mutant meat dangling from its maw. The deathclaw just slurped down the morsel and moved on all fours to me. It sniffed my fear petrified body and extended itself to its full height, towering over me. Then it walked away.

It walked off to the now diminishing number of mutant corpses and ate some more.

I quietly slinked back to my house. Upon examining myself I realized that my uniform pants really need a wash due to me pissing myself like a little filly.

I would have to do that later. I needed to observe the deathclaw that was right on top of me.

I moved to the bridge spanning the towers and observed the mighty beat consume several more mutants before ripping the arm off one and tossing it up to the other end of the bridge.

I stared at the deathclaw and it looked like it was observing me also, I moved down to the arm, its eyes following me.

It didn't throw the arm or any other part at me, nor was it aggressive acting. Was it thanking me for killing all the mutants?

I grabbed the thick arm and tossed it back to him. The deathclaw looked…confused.

"Sorry, I don't eat mutant. If it was a rat I might would. But keep it…a thank you for not killing me."

It stared blankly at me before grabbing the arm and going about its business down the road.

It was getting dark, so I made another fire and received more depression and happiness from the songs and 3-Dog.

He said something about "Don't be deathclaw chow." as one of his important PSAs.

No shit. I don't need fucking Pinkie sense to tell me that.

I only seen a deathclaw once before. Blazewing and I were on the bridge spanning the two buildings and saw the thing tear 8 mutants to bits like they do to us.

Oh the food chain, fuck you in the ass with my new spear. I hate this place.

I'm thinking about joining the mutant corpse collection. Actually, screw it. If I stay alive I can kill even more of these things so others don't have to. Plus I just got a new red rug to sit on and brighten the atmosphere.

It was dark and I had nothing to do, so it was time for me to sleep.

Just like wash, rinse, repeat.

I dropped using the rifle and went back to jump ambushing again.

Today was different because right now. Three talon company mercenaries were talking about some saint that needed slaying. Assholes had it coming. Fall just like muties.

Only now did I feel remorse for killing. Muties were one thing, but intelligent people were another. I hated ending the lives of people that thought as clearly as I did. Talon Company Mercs are bastards but they don't have the drug addled brains of raiders or the, whatever makes the muties so pissy part about them. They could think clearly, and could have been bargained with.

Who am I kidding? They would have seen I was an 'Exotic Equestrian' and probably rape me.

The mercenaries' supplies were a relief. Rad-x, Rad-away, a doctors bag in case I break an arm or leg, ammo, a few grenades, guns, fresh food and water so I can get a little more nutrition other than rat meat and Nuka-colas.

I heard the bark of a dog and turned.

Dogmeat and Joana were walking up the road. Glad it wasn't another slave thing like the day before.

Dogmeat wagged her tail ferociously and bounded my way with Joana in hot pursuit.

She was the woman that taught me to survive so I guess she was checking up on me.

"Hey Spitfire."

"Hey Joana, Dogmeat. So do you remember everybody's name?"

Joana smiled "Sure do. Also have a good memory for landmarks."

Just like Pinkie Pie who never forgot my birthday. "So care to trade? I have a slight overabundance of supplies."

Joana looked around at the numerous corpses that were left smiling.

"I may have a spare bottle cap or two I could part with."

I had some human companionship for a change, today was looking up.

I lead her and Dogmeat up the stairs to my home. I fed Dogmeat a few pieces of, fillet of cooked rat. Joana was thankful for me feeding her companion and we traded a few supplies.

My growing assault rifle collection and 5.56 ammo for fresh vegetables, a few bottles of purified water, a metric shit ton of .32 ammo, and 100 bottle caps even.

I asked her to stay and sit around the fire pit with me. A radio doesn't fill the companionship void an actual person does.

She sipped on a bottle of whisky. "So tell me about yourself."

I had time to kill and craved an actual conversation. "Well, where do I start? I was what you call a Wonderbolt back in Equestria, the land I'm from. But, not just any Wonderbolt though, I trained the new recruits and took pride in doing it. I was one of the nicer ones, now Hartman though…he was a major hardass. I swear that he made every new recruit piss their jumpsuit. I won't even mention the jelly donut incident"

"So the Wonderbolts are soldiers and you were a drill sergeant?"

"They're not really soldiers. More like scouts who when in times of peace do airshows for public entertainment. We don't really have assigned ranks, you just get stuck in the position your skill and competence allows."

"A bit like the Enclave with the foot soldiers. They don't really carry a rank. The only rank I heard of was Colonel Autumn but I killed him in Project Purity. The sore losers then bombed it after we took the fight to them with Liberty Prime. But seriously, that was the only working mass water purifier."

"How do you do it? Killing I mean. I actually felt sorry for killing 3 humans that weren't raiders or this spear carrying psycho."

"You kill enough times the moral pains go away. When I first came out Vault 101 in search of my dad, I didn't want to kill, not even the raiders. But now I could kill a whole squad of Talon Company or Old Enclave unprovoked and sleep like a child."

She had a point. They were my first non-raider human kills with the exception of the spear guy but he attacked me first and the holotape proved he was a muderer. I only knew of Talon Company's atrocities from mercs passing by and the radio, not firsthand to justify my actions.

"I killed one other human than the three Talons. Listen to this, it's fucked up."

I handed her the holotape and she downloaded it to her pip-boy and played it out loud much to my ears displeasure.

(One holotape later)

"Wow that is fucked up." She said after the tape ended. "I never come across any other humans following the muties orders."

"Thing dodged my throwing knives with reflexes that were inhuman, but it was a human."

"I don't know. I may have to head back to their vault and see what's what. There may be more and they could do things that could really put everyone in jeopardy. Like opening the town gates or extending a bridge in Rivet City's case."

The thought scared me. Time to get off the subject. "So you hear about the New Enclave running Rivet City?"

"I did, 3-Dog has the same news stuck on a loop till something else happens worth replacing it. I don't trust this New Enclave though. Probably because they were from the same military group that killed my father, or that damned black power armor that they wear. I believe it gives everyone the creeps."

"I think they look like humanized changelings. The green fire coming from the plasma weapons completes the picture."

Joana took another sip from her whisky bottle and passed it to me, although I had a few of my own I could access at any time, I accepted it. "So, what's a changeling?"

I grabbed the bottle by the neck and took a swig of the liquid. To be whisky it was surprisingly smooth going down. I guess being aged for over 200 years does that. Joana told me about the Great War before. I would hate if Equestria gets involved in something like that, especially with Zebrica. Those zebras can cook up some nasty brews.

Back to her question though, "A changeling is an insect like sentient parasite the size of an average pony. They have the ability to mimic a person's appearance and feed off the love of their disguises lover has for them."

"Yikes. That's a scary thought."

"They invaded Canterlot in a mass invasion and would have succeeded if not for the elements of harmony blasting them them very far away. Before we left we found out they were returning but Princess Celestia disregarded it and sent us through in a futile attempt to rescue 8 people. I admit that one was Princess Luna and 6 others were the elements of harmony but the safety of the entire kingdom was put into and possibly still is in jeopardy. Although that crafty bastard Discord probably set off some sort of chaos bomb in their queen's face by now…shit, forgot he doesn't have most of his powers back."

"Discord?"

"Ancient spirit of chaos. He was reformed to be good but sometimes has little relapse sessions where his powers go haywire and half of wherever he may be gets turned into vanilla pudding."

"Your world is very interesting, especially since I know nothing about magic. I have so many other questions but I must get going. I'm heading to Megaton to see just how the New Enclave runs a town. Want to come, probably a day or twos travel time?"

"I must refuse that offer. This is my home now. Not the liveliest place, but I have a perfect spot to ambush mutants. I know we won't return to Equestria. Discord can't open the portal and neither can Celestia, Twilight, or Luna in there new magicless bodies."

"Keep safe and stay away from radiation as much as possible. I'll add a marker called Spitfire Towers so I can return in the next few days. How does that sound?"

"Whatever floats your boat, I could care less if you call it Spitfire's Shithole. Well later, it was nice having someone to talk to for a bit. Want you're half empty bottle of whisky back?"

"Keep it. Nights here get chilly and a bit of alcohol will take the nip out the air."

"I have a few more bottles of my own, same brand I think, but thanks anyways. Goodbye Joana, Dogmeat. Have another piece of rat for the road."

I tossed Dogmeat another seared piece of rat meat. He ate it with a few audible chomps and wagged his tail.

With that, Dogmeat and Joana left me alone. Maybe I should go to Megaton for a bit. Keep my lid from spinning off if I talk to more people instead of listening to the radio while simultaneously thinking happy thoughts and wanting to put the barrel of the .32 rifle in my mouth and pull the trigger.

Time for sleep that leads into another wash, rinse, repeat cycle of me killing and looting. Surprised I'm not a raider by now.

(Viewpoint change: John Foley: First day of arrival, his awakening)

My world was turned upside down, probably because I was swinging from a meat hook running through my leg while suspended from a billboard.

It hurt like bloody heck. I screamed profanity that would cause any mother to slap the living hell out of me for muttering.

Speaking of hell, I knew I must be in it. Mutilated corpses hung from chains. Their bodies crudely dissected or dismembered. The entrails of one human were actually used to hang him like they were rope.

The pain from the portal probably killed me. Should have gone to church last Sunday, now I'm in hell.

I hung there for what felt like eternity (get used to it, you'll be in hell awhile) before heavy footfalls crept up the broken road most likely a demon looking to torment me in my eternal undeath.

Huh, I always figured them to be red, not green and have pitchforks instead of a sledgehammer and some sort of board with nails in it.

One pointed at me. "Fetch." It grumbled.

Two humans clad in tan mummy like wrappings and tan clothing ran my direction. One standing under me as the other climbed the ladder on the billboard after jumping halfway up it.

The one on the billboard began climbing down my chain somehow. It grabbed my leg and unhooked me, letting me drop into the arms of the other.

Almost like some sort of primate playing, it swung from the meat hook using one of its human paws to grasp the bloody metal and landed right beside its doppelganger.

They began carrying me by slipping their heads under a shoulder.

"Follow." The other green demon grumbled.

I just felt like being a smartass. "Where to doofus?"

The green demon turned and punched me in the face causing my vision to go black.

I awoke a few times before I was knocked out again and again.

When I awoke and wasn't rendered unconscious I looked around at my new surroundings. I was in a room in what looked like an oversized birdcage that kept me in a sitting position.

The small room was filled with even more of the oversized birdcages. All were empty except 3 others and mine of course.

Two green demons walked into the room. The door on the cage was opened and I was drug out. Walking on two legs and one of them being injured was a hassle.

A woman also was let out her cage.

The second demon chose the other two. Another male and female.

We were led down narrow corridors decorated with faded yellow paint and dotted by rusty circular vents piping surprisingly fresh air throughout the halls.

More of the mummy wrapped humans walked the halls, as we followed behind the demon that chose us. Most of them were following a demon, like loyal pets.

Rusty metal doors marked with a black 87 always opened upwards with a loud hiss of steam. We were led into a room filled with 6 large grey cylindrical objects that had a glass window just above eye level. 3 in a row.

Glass shown a room populated by a demon in what looked like tattered lab coat. Various buttons and levers populated the room it was in.

It turned around and pulled two leavers, causing two of the cylinders to open up. I was thinking of running but what good would that do? I was in hell after all.

I stepped inside the coffin like pod and watched as the female was forced into hers violently.

I just relaxed and meditated while standing. Keeping calm and collective as the door shut and gas that smelled like sulfur started to fill the pod. I felt my body's nerves explode with pain but I kept calm. I kept my eyes closed and drowned out the sound of the female screaming bloody murder across from me.

After an eternity in the pod the door opened with the same hiss of the up-opining doors. I cracked open my eyes and looked as a green demon stared at me from the pod across from me. It stepped out and muttered something I couldn't understand.

A demon handed her a set of armor and what I guessed was a gun. It was long and looked like it was made from old wood and rusted metal.

I stepped out and realized the pain in my leg was gone. I looked down and seen I was now green and muscular, and I felt taller.

Wait, green…muscular…taller?

I stumbled my way to the glass and in the slight reflectiveness of it, saw a demon staring back at me.

I then realized I wasn't in hell and these weren't demons. The gas and pods must be some sort of super soldier creator or something.

I felt the fleshy claw of a super soldier's paw tap me on my back and turned.

"Take." The not demon grumbled.

I began dressing as best I could in the scrap armor, quickly realizing that my clothing ripped off when I was transformed yet again.

"Thanks."

The green super soldier looked confused.

"We have another Fawkes" it said. Clearly most people transformed are rendered into idiots and I was an exception.

"No, you wrong heard." I said as closely as I could manage to him.

He scratched his head then picked his ears for the wax he thought clogged it.

"Take this rifle." He said as he shoved a near lookalike of the female's gun to me. Now that I think about her, her ladylike features were gone. Were they unisex? I checked under the armor covering my private area, yep definitely unisex.

I used the strap on the rifle to sling it over my shoulder and walked towards the metal upwards opening door.

I flipped the switch connected to the door and it opened with a rusty squeak and hiss of steam.

I walked about aimlessly through the dimly lit, dirty, chipped, and faded yellow painted halls of what I guessed was some sort of military laboratory on account of the super soldiers and weapons.

A mummy wrapped human began tailing me like a lost dog after a while of walking.

I still had to mumble like an idiot to keep my disguise. Who knows what they do to the ones that keep their faculties. The super soldier mentioned a one named Fawkes with a bit of disgust.

"What want stupid human?"

"To follow master's wishes and master himself." It replied in an innocent female voice. At her calling me master with no repulse in her voice, I guessed they were either brainwashed or fanatically loyal to the super soldiers.

"Where am I" I said nearly letting my true voice slip out.

"Home, Vault 87."

"Show around."

"Yes master, please follow and I will lead."

The human began navigating the twisting and turning halls naming off so many rooms I often forgot what the last one was.

Soon we entered a room that was pitch black dark that was filled with the hum of machinery and what sounded like a bubbling cauldron, and when she turned to talk about the dark room, her eyes were a deep glowing red.

Night vision, if she has it and I don't, then regular humans must not, so they aren't humans after all.

We walked through the halls past more humans and super soldiers and I noticed a few clean robots, like they were fresh out the factory. The most interesting and common one was the three armed floating ball robots. The only other ones I saw were black and rectangular shaped on wheels and were the size of a mouse. A faint sound of scrubbing or the hum of a vacuum followed them, miniature janitors.

After more touring I was guided into a room filled with metal tables that had a jointed arm holding it up and it had metal restraints that held the patient with their arms above their head.

On two gurneys were the male and female that were taken from the other cages. A super soldier watched as his slave took a large syringe and needle filled with glowing red liquid and injected it into the neck of the male and the super soldier pulled a nearby leaver to set the metal gurney into a standing position as a small TV lowered from the ceiling.

The male began jerking violently and yelling in pain. Then the TV played and he calmed as his body began glowing a slight red, his illuminated eyes fixed on the TV.

I walked down to the super soldier as my slave followed. I looked into the TV. Many different pictures were flashing on the screen at a head spinning rate. The noise coming from the speakers was garbled, near static like.

The screen cut off and the restraints popped open letting him fall to the floor in a crouch with his head on one knee and the other knee on the floor.

He arose and looked around. His eyes still glowing their evil red before he blinked and they went back to normal.

He took his right arm and went across his chest to hit the opposites arm's shoulder in some form of salute.

My guess was that the people sent here were brainwashed into servitude by the red serum and the movie.

The other woman that was in the cage when I first woke up was paralyzed in fear. The super soldiers slave handed the new recruit the garments and wrappings that all of them wore. The slave then refilled the injection needle and without so much as a cry for help from her, injected the fear paralyzed woman and focused her head forward to watch the TV that would be lowered when her gurney tilted up.

I couldn't watch again so I casually left the room with my slave following me. I knew the poor girl had no choice but to follow my orders.

"Where is exit?" I asked.

"Which one, front or back?" she asked.

"Which one closer?"

"Follow me I will show you." She said and led me onwards as the scream finally released from the other woman sent a chill down my spine.

(AN: The Servants, are a new custom faction. They are smarter than mutants but there blind loyalty to them doesn't let them show it.

Also there is no radiation at the alternant entrance to allow Servants to travel unharmed into the outside world so they don't have to deal with Little Lamplight.

And yes, I do realize that FEV is liquid in vats not gas in a pod. I just wrote it this way to suit the story better. As I say to za haters…deal with it.)


	4. Chapter 4: Tick Tock Goes the Clock

Chapter 4 Tick Tock Goes the Clock

(Foley's POV: Leaving through alternate exit to Vault 87: Right after last chapter)

My slave and I were climbing up a steep slope of earth that led outside the Vault. It was getting steeper but the longer I walked on two legs the easier it became. A few more of the super soldiers were heading out this way as well.

"Come master, were almost topside." My slave said to me.

I really wish I could call her something else, servant maybe?

"Thanks human." I snarled out in my stupid voice. I was actually getting good at it. I didn't even get a glare from the others this time.

We neared a door sitting at an angle at the end of the slope. When we finally pushed through the door onto stable ground, we were greeted by beautiful nighttime, the stars and moon illuminating the near barren landscape. I always favored Luna's cool nights than Celestia's burning day.

I had to remind myself that I wasn't a pony anymore and that this wasn't Equestria.

My servant's eyes glowed the evil red of her night vision. So I followed her after we dusted the grime off from our climb.

There were a few wicked looking barricades made from what looked like pieces of train cars and train tracks cut at a sharp angle making spikes visible in the full moon. Then there were some metal poles jutting skyward. They were often decorated with human skeletons impaled on rebar.

Wonder if they were alive when they were put there.

My servant grabbed a bag hanging off a pole's rebar and a crude axe made from a long metal pipe with a kitchen knife welded to it as the blade.

She fished out a strip of black cloth from the tan bag and tied the ends to two points on her axe making a sling for it.

"Let's go." I said.

"Where to?" she asked

"Just follow." I commanded.

I hated ordering her around but I wanted to set out away from this place and didn't need the suspicion of a super soldier following its servant instead of vice versa.

"Ok" she replied innocently as if I wasn't a tall ugly monster keeping her as a slave. She couldn't be much out her teens for her voice still held a little girlyness that hadn't gave way to womanhood yet. I hated sharing the same form of these monsters. They may not be the demons of hell, but they were still demons nonetheless.

We walked into the night for hours undisturbed. That was until we came across a patch of blackened dead trees with more barricades, a few small campers, and more of my kin illuminated by fires in barrels.

Wait did I just call them kin? They aren't like me and I'm not like them. Keep calm, it's what saved your faculties in the first place. Keep calm keep calm keep calm.

"Master?" my slave asked.

Not slave just confused servant. Agghhhh, why can't I think straight?

I collapsed to my knees clutching my head trying to keep sane. Why was this happening? It has to be all the hits to knock me out when I was dragged to Vault 87. They must be affecting my brain along with the gas.

Just as fast as it hit, the feeling left me.

I opened my eyes and my servant was hugging me to try and comfort me.

I lightly brushed her aside and got up. I needed to hurry and reverse this somehow before I lose myself to the evil the gas filled me with.

I did my meditation breathing techniques to calm myself down. I felt calmer and a lot better. Maybe keeping calm and mediation is the key to controlling this.

I looked at my servant. Her glowing red eyes were dimmer from the tears she was sheading.

Why was she crying for me? I was master in her eyes and she my slave.

"We go now." I said and we walked towards the campers.

My servant was the only one of her kind there. I sat down amongst the super soldiers like I was one of them. I then noticed a man bound close by the fire. Probably the next stop for him will be the Vault.

I couldn't stand to stay here any longer are risk another episode like I just experienced not too long ago, so I formed a plan to rescue him that I knew probably might get us killed.

"Come." I grumbled to my servant as I got up and walked towards the human.

I looked at him. He was muscular, and was missing a piece of his left ear. "You too filthy human."

"No, now go take your gun and shove it." The man replied

I'm surprised he hadn't been executed by now with that level of defiance when I was beat and dragged who knows how far over a smartass remark instead of a death threat.

I grabbed him by the back of his neck and in a fit of uncontrolled rage screamed. "Come before I grind your bones to dust and eat your flesh!"

I didn't mean that! Where did it come from? I was slipping closer to losing myself. I needed to stay calm or become one of these monsters.

"Okay okay!" the male said as he got up completely convinced I was going to do what I said if he did otherwise.

We left the camp without even a glance at us. When we got far enough away I decided it was time to rest despite being in the middle of nowhere.

"Sit both of you." I grumbled out

We all sat. It was getting bright enough to see a few feet ahead of you now, and my servant's night vision was no longer on.

"In Vault, you chose me, why?"

My servant was sitting Indian style. "There is something special about you I guess." She replied innocently.

The innocence in her responses makes it that much harder to boss her around and ask her questions.

I decided if she attacks me I could overpower her and its getting close to being light enough to walk without night vision. I could also travel with the human so I could now drop my disguise.

"Set him free." I said in my normal voice.

"Wait...what?" My 'captive' asked confused. "You're one of the freaks, you shouldn't sound like that."

My servant just stared at me like she was saying, _that's the special I was feeling_

"I know and I hate it. Set him free. My name is John Foley and I was turned into this abomination not long ago."

"Wait, Foley? It's me Horse Power!"

"So, little snowflake survived, where is Octavia and Marionette?"

"Marionette is dead and Octavia escaped this gang I wiped out, after that I don't know. I was captured by some of the freaks after I saved Octavia. Also the punk that shot half my ear off killed himself with his pistol so I self-taught myself to use his gun after I looted this book from the supplies left on the bridge. Also I think I heard a radio say what you are now is a supermutant."

"I was given a rifle in the laboratory you were being hauled to. You lucked out that I happened across you. They would either turn you into one of them, or a servant like…Huh, I never asked for your name."

"I don't have a name. I am only a slave to you master."

"You must have a name. Can't you remember it?"

"No. I doubt it's worth remembering though master, for I am just a lowly slave."

HP shook his head. "Damn, she's messed up. What did they do to her?"

"Injected her with some red liquid and brainwashed her. She doesn't have any choice."

"I do have a choice, and that choice is to serve you master."

"Please, you are not my slave. Call me Foley, and I release you from your servitude to me."

"Foley, I must refuse. My only purpose is to serve you or another master. Without that contract I'm worthless."

HP decided to talk. "I'm still tied up."

"Sorry. Forgive me Foley for forgetting." She said as she cut HP's restraining rope with the axe blade.

He ran to my side and whispered a smart idea to me. "Servant."

"Yes" she replied.

"You are now contracted to serve yourself. Understand?"

"I only serve who I choose, and I chose to serve you."

Great, I'm slowly losing my mind and I can't free her from me for when that happens. I suffered abuse at the hands of the mutants. Their slaves must get treated badly despite their blind loyalty and when I turn I can't keep her safe.

"If I'm stuck with you then I need to give you a name. Samantha sound good?" I felt sick at giving her a name like a pet. But it would be easier on my conscience than slave or servant.

"Yes Foley. I like that name. Thank you for giving me it."

Dammit she thanked in that innocent little voice that makes my conscience tell me that I'm a bad person.

I didn't want her to be my slave, couldn't she see that past the brainwashing?

It was now bright enough to see clearly. I then noticed the wraps covering her. She deserved some individualism. "Remove the wraps covering you're face. I want to see your true self."

She shook her head. "My skin is not worthy to be gazed upon by your eyes. That's why we all hide under wraps for our masters."

"Please. I wouldn't ask if I didn't deem it worthy to be looked at." There you go Foley, use her brainwashing against her.

She reached in her shirts collar and pulled the wrapping then began unwinding the cloth, revealing a bald woman under the wraps.

Despite her lack of hair she was stunningly beautiful. I'm not even the same species as her and I found her attractive.

"Wow." I muttered.

She blushed brightly and went back to wrapping her face.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I told you, you wouldn't like my skin." She replied shyly.

"No, you look stunning. Leave the wrapping off."

Underneath all the brainwashing was a person. I needed to dig all the way through it to reach her and hope I free the woman trapped inside.

"Thank you Foley."

"So what now?" HP asked

"You're free to go. I can't let you follow me around just to get killed in the crossfire, and Samantha won't leave me. Mutants must be hated by the humans so I need you to continue on without me. Complete the mission we were sent here for."

I knew HP was smart. We went to school together and I used to pick on him for his tiny wings and white coat saying a snowflake was faster than him.

It didn't surprise me when he asked "What else is wrong John? You are sending me out into the unknown and I can tell you're hiding something."

I was caught and he knew it, I needed to tell him the truth anyways. "When I was carried to the Vault, I was hit in the head repeatedly then turned into this mutant freak. The process must normally leave them violent wrecks but I was different. Like Fawkes another mutant that one of them mentioned. But now I can feel my mind slowly degrading. I meant what I yelled at you earlier in my violent rage but it wasn't me saying it."

Samantha looked like she was thinking. "You said Fawkes. My old master said something about when the G.E.C.K was stolen. Fawkes was the one that done it to help a human named Vault Dweller. Fawkes was an ancient one, close to the first successful FEV subject and was different from the rest. He stayed sane in solitary confinement for years until Vault Dweller freed him and stole the G.E.C.K."

"Your old master?" HP asked

"Sadly my old master left me to search the city a few days ago and never returned. I know he's dead because many patrols in the area he went are missing. I even know where it is."

"How do you know all this?" I asked.

"When roaming the halls waiting, you overhear a lot of conversations. Also there are many journals I like to read off the many terminals in the Vault."

"So, how old was Fawkes?" HP asked.

Samantha tapped her chin thinking. "From his terminal entries, and this is a rough estimate, over 200."

That's impossible, only alicorns live that long. Then again these things were designed as super soldiers.

"HP, find Octavia and the others and continue on. I need to be by myself so if I can't keep my mind from slipping."

With some expected reluctance he went his way and I was left with Samantha. She was just as stubborn and loyal as Rainbow Dash and I knew she wouldn't leave me.

"So, where is this area that you're old master went to?"

"Follow."

Call it clairvoyance, but I knew I would find something there. Be it her old master's corpse or something.

We travelled for a good part of the day covering a lot of ground. Then we actually hooked up with a squad of 3 more mutants and their servants. None of them paying any mind that Samantha had her face uncovered.

We were getting close to where the patrols were going missing according to Samantha. The 3 others sent their servants into a body filled street. Who are what was here, had a hard-on for mutant killing.

I heard glass shatter and as if time slowed a woman leapt from the second story of a building and slaughtered the servants.

I drew my rifle and with no knowledge on how to use it clubbed one of the mutants in the back of the head killing him.

The wood splintering and metal bending as his skull shattered was satisfying to my evil side's bloodlust. I was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

"Samantha kill them!" I yelled.

She didn't even hesitate to use the axe she carried to lop off the head of one mutant before sinking it in the back of the other.

She put her wrapped foot down on its back and pulled the axe out with a pop.

A knife hit the ground at my feet and another sailed at Samantha that she dodged with unreal agility.

She began running towards the armored woman before I yelled. "Stop!"

She did and so did the woman.

The woman walked down the road and I saw that several parts of her armor were made from mutant armor. She even wore one of the helmets of one.

She took off her helmet to reveal blaze orange hair that could only belong to Spitfire.

She approached cautiously and saw the bodies of the mutants Samantha and I killed.

I picked up a rifle only to drop it when she jumped in shock.

She walked a little closer to me. "Why are you not trying to kill me and why did you kill them?" She asked.

"Spitfire, what the bloody hell is going on here? I see mutant corpses all over the place."

"Wait a second…I fucking finally lost it haven't I…a damn mutie just said my name…fuck Spitfire you should have went to Megaton and you still would be sane, but noooOOOooo…insanity…goodbye, because I got a .32 bullet with my brain's name on it."

"Hey, quit talking like that before you start believing it."

"There it is again…seriously a normal talking mutie and their unmasked slave. Well…fuck."

Samantha crossed her arms pouting. "Hey my name is Samantha now."

"And my name is Spitfire, nice to meet a fucking figment of my imagination."

I shook my head. "Girl is worse than Twilight being tardy for Celestia."

"Where are those two? I would like to congratulate them with a bullet for me finally flipping my lid."

Dammit not listening. So I slapped her.

"Huh, you hurt me, you…hurt…me, oh fuck you're real." She said as realization dawned on her.

Finally.

"Come on, don't mind the mutant blood everywhere, not any people you know hopefully."

She still was as crazy as a paranoid Twilight. A respected member of the Wonderbolts turned into mutant killing loon. Wait, why was I following her?

We went to the 3rd floor and we all talked, although Samantha didn't really talk much and nearly wrapped her head back up in Spitfire's presence.

After a bit of idle chatter about everything but why I was a mutant, Spitfire broke out a near empty bottle of whisky.

"So explain to me what the hell is going on with you." Spitfire finally asked.

I laughed a bit. "Funny you should ask…I thought I was in hell…turns out I'm not dead. Also not dead are Luna and Twilight and the rest of the elements of harmony."

She nearly spit out the whisky she was drinking and looked at Samantha after a hard gulp. "You hear this guy, the egghead and Princess Luna surviving here, yeah right."

Samantha just shrugged and twiddled her thumbs as she made her eyes blink their glow on and off. Creepy, but still cool.

"They aren't here. They were in a place like here but not here to be exact because if they were here then I wouldn't be here because their return sent me here." Great, set out the long dining table for tea. The both of us are mad as a hatter.

Spitfire let out a single mad cackle and pointed at all of us. "Look at us. A mutant, whatever the hell she is, and a nearly drunk Wonderbolt on her way to becoming a raider all living in one place like a happy dysfunctional family, wait till you see the family dog. Speaking of whatever the hell she is, what the hell is she?"

"I was in the place these mutants come from. I saw them brainwash captives and turn them into servants for them."

"Well that explains one thing. Now tell me why are her eyes impersonating stoplights?"

Samantha just shrugged. "I have night vision and a few other powers I love to switch on and off when I'm bored."

"To be brainwashed she is remarkably independent and completely normal acting. More so than us I'm afraid" Spitfire commented.

Samantha chuckled. "I may serve Foley but he doesn't have to order me to relive myself or other functions like that. So I do get bored and find myself entertainment."

I thought about what Spitfire said about how Samantha was more normal acting than us. "Maybe our problem is that we are alone. Since I started talking I hadn't felt this evil part of me creep up again."

Spitfire shrugged and took a long draw from the now near empty bottle of whisky before speaking. "I did love when Joana and Dogmeat came around. She's actually coming around sometime in the next few days. Maybe if you follow a famous person like her you won't get shot at and with her level of wasteland experience she could fix you somehow and get me to see a doctor because I really need my head examined. Also I need a new pair of shades."

Samantha got up and crept towards the window. "Quiet, a deathclaw smelled the bodies."

Spitfire laughed. "That's the family dog, Mr. Chomps. He disposes of many of the corpses."

I looked out the window to gaze upon the bodies being consumed by a monster that was bigger than me.

Knowing that there was shit out there that was bigger than I was scared the hell out of me.

After Mr. Chomps left (can't believe she named the damn thing) we all talked. I ate up all the information spitfire was giving out. Another thing I ate up was roasted rat.

I knew I'm supposed to be vegan, but in this city I'll be surprised to see if there are any weeds growing.

Spitfire let us stay and sleep in her makeshift home. Probably the only reason she let a mutant stay was because she was desperate for some company. Surprised she isn't talking to herself and banging her head against the wall. Who knows, she might have been before I arrived.

I hope that the Joana woman will be here soon. If she can fix me, she can fix Samantha, and the company might reverse Spitfire's…condition.

I still can't believe that all this is happening. Celestia goes AWOL from her duties to find Luna. I get transformed into a different species, twice. I Have a person following me around acting like my slave, I meet one of the Wonderbolts and find out she's nearly lost her coconut, and to top it off I'm slowly but surely losing my noggin myself. Well I can always remove myself from the picture before I lose myself completely.

_You won't. Also trust me, human is delicious if seasoned with a bit of ground bone meal_

Shut up, I just had a stomach full of rat. I don't care if human tastes good…why am I even talking to you? You're the thing I don't want to be.

_Because that curious part of you wants to know what's it like._

That is total bullshit and we both know it. Also why aren't you stupid?

_The FEV you got destroys parts of the brain, so decreased intelligence. But dumb luck and natural willpower kept you from frying most of those parts. Just enough were destroyed to let me in but enough preserved to keep me intelligent._

I knew it was a good idea to head to one of Iron will's seminars. How you like being stuck inside doing nothing?

_I hate you. And when I fully take over, I will give you front row seats as I rip that worthless little slave girl apart and shove each part down that bitch Spitfire's throat. Then I'll rip her up and shove those pieces in a gore bag and feed them to a centaur._

How do you know things I haven't learned yet, and what is a centaur?

_Don't question me about things I have no answer to. But I do know what a centaur is. It's a FEV reject that walks around on six hands and has three tongues if I remember correctly. Can't miss them the first time you see them._

Well if you know all about mutants. Tell me about Samantha.

_And this is why I rip her apart when I get control. You are too attached to that piece of meat. Guess I can give you information that draws you closer to her so when I rip control from you and butcher her it will be that much more devastating. So as you have seen there are two strains of FEV. The second strain was created after the G.E.C.K was removed by some automated protocols or some nonsense. You were gassed with the old one, and the new one was injected into your little girlfriend… Oh, a delicious thought just hit me. I eat her and feed Spitfire alive to a centaur._

I can always kill ourselves before that happens.

_You just said ourselves there, Mr. In Control, I get closer and closer to taking over…Tick Tock Goes The Clock, Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock._

I hate us. Wait you! I hate you. Not us…I mean me. You just got me a little tongue tied is all.

_He he he he…Tick…Tock…Tick…Tock…He he he…_

(AN: His ability to talk to his other personality was given to him when he collapsed outside the mutant camp but I only revealed the problem at the end of the chapter.)


	5. Chapter 5: Megaton

Chapter 5 Megaton

The song that plays is, (I Wonder) Where Is My love. I can't find it on youtube so head to grooveshark

(Octavia's POV: After the events in chapter 1)

The ride was a bumpy one. Turns out brahmin aren't really a smooth ride. I didn't really care as long as the bump didn't make me hit my leg. Which it did… a lot.

My homemade pip-boy's radio was turning out tunes that were rather catchy… I think the genre is called swing or was it the blues? Could have been both, who knows?

As we rode onwards the DJ came on for the first time since I left Tom's store.

"Hello there Capitol Wasteland, it's me 3-Dog again. I tell you boys and girls that when I look into the night sky, I wonder…where is my love. Listen to this."

It was getting close to dark but when I looked up all I saw were thick grey clouds choking the sky line.

A song came on with one man singing softly while others provided a tune after almost every verse.

"I look at the stars up above, (doo wah ooh)"

"And wonder, where is my love? (doo wah ooh)"

"No matter where she may be (doo wah ooh)"

"I hope she's thinking of me. (ooOOooh)"

Ouch, this place just loves to hurt me.

"I long to hold her real tight (doo wah ooh)

"In the still of the night (doo wah ooh)

"And whisper things in her ear (doo wah ooh)"

"Oh I love her so dear (ooOOooh)

I really miss Vinyl. I bet she would like this even though this isn't her type of music.

"She's got those eyes… that will make you change your mind."

"Right or wrong, that's why I love her so strong."

I really, really miss Vinyl. The song matched her perfectly… whenever we would fight and she was mad enough to take off her shades, one look into those beautiful maroon eyes would make me stammer until I forgot the argument and apologized.

"I think that's the first time I seen a woman cry to that song." The guard said as we made it out of the city and into a barren looking dustbowl sparsely populated with absolutely nothing except sickly looking tan and brown dirt that seemed unfit for crops.

I began wiping the few tears that I hadn't realized I shed and cut the radio off. "Well, it still hits home with me."

"How so?" the guard asked.

"Well back home I have a woman waiting for me."

At least I hoped she was waiting for me… I left a note telling her I would be gone for a while… did she get it? How long will she wait?

"Oh so your one of 'those' kind of women… I ain't one to judge. Hey Crow we taking the shortcut this run?"

Crow shrugged. "Might as well, her leg must be sore beyond all belief." He looked at me. "My sister is like you… into other women I mean… we'll sometimes… I think?"

So bisexual, well at least there are people here fine with same sex couples.

"So what is your sister's name?" I asked. I just wanted to know in case I met her so we could have something to talk about.

"Last I heard she was going by Nova… she lives in Megaton. Mind if I ask how you and your… girlfriend met?"

"I have no problem with it. We met in a bar and I was drunk so Vinyl Scratch let me slip backstage because she worked at the club as a DJ and didn't want me walking off with any of the men while drunk."

I took a good breath then continued. "Well since she was real popular in the magazines as the newest and hottest DJ, some jackass, pardon my Prench, took a photo of us fumbling backstage and it eventually made its way to my parents… who were not happy. I tried to explain the misunderstanding but they were too focused on how it would reflect on them and to make matters worse for me was that it was a downtown club… not one of the uptown hoity-toity clubs... well anyways Vinyl is the exact opposite of what my parents would want for me… wild hairstyle, a little in need of a good shower, loves really loud music, and female."

The guard and Crow chuckled.

Crow turned his head a little towards me. "Sounds like someone you would avoid. No offense, but you look like you stepped out of Tenpenny Tower."

We neared a collection of houses that were burned to a crisp. The ancient looking houses looked more like skeletons than homes that were one lived in by people.

"I'm starting to get the feeling that people from there are stuck up. Well, I did avoid people like her until I seen that I could really have some fun… I did things my parents wouldn't approve of before… like kickboxing but that wasn't as fun as sneaking downtown to a club. Then I saw that fooling around with women hit them right sorely, so I…"

*Rat-tat-tat-tat*

"RAIDERS!" the guard yelled as he was struck by a bullet in the shoulder. I didn't see any blood so I guess his armor stopped the shot.

One of my mount's heads exploded in bloody chunks and fell, knocking me off. I would have been pinned if I was straddling it but I was sitting with both legs dangling off the opposite side of the direction of the fall… my leg still exploded in pain.

I used the body of the brahmin as cover and whipped out my AR and started squeezing the trigger at the deranged lunatics that seemed to spawn from the skeletal frames in droves.

It was set to single fire thankfully, so I was having more success with this weapon than the 10mm in the holster on my hip that Tom gave me.

*Tat* Dead raider, *tat* miss, *tat* violent gash in the stomach, *click-crunch* shit…

My gun broke and I only have this equally shitty gun that I can't aim worth a fuck… well Tavi, tis your last stand while backed by two men you barely even know.

"Ahhhhhh!" The guard fell with a bullet through the chest and he was coughing up blood.

Well, I wish to at least to propose to Vinyl before I die… but now that seems unlikely.

I tossed the broken AR aside and drew my 10mm pistol, desperately firing at any movement that wasn't Crow until my pistol went click while he used a strange automatic rifle whose clip was back behind the trigger.

Out of nowhere, raider's heads began splattering into gore. None of the headshots were mine or Crow's and we didn't hear any gunshots.

Crow leapt behind the dead brahmin alongside of me. We prepared to meet our ends as we waited for death to come bearing its ugly head in whatever form this wasteland had for us.

A woman wearing a blue armored jumpsuit and carrying a telescoped rifle with a large cylinder at the end that was bigger and darker than the barrel walked up the faded and broken road with a dog.

"Thank god you shown up Joana. We would have been dead if it wasn't for you."

"You're welcome Crow, so who's the passenger? And that is a really nice gun."

"It's an Aug-A3. Well Joana meet Octavia, Octavia meet Joana, a woman so beautiful she brightens this little hellhole up."

"Crow you old smooth talker. Just what the hell are you doing moving through Ash Town, place is thick with raiders? Well… was thick with them."

Something was really wrong here. "Why are we talking so casually after nearly losing our lives and all this killing? The guard is sitting there dead and we're holding conversation."

Crow shrugged. "Death is commonplace enough to be ignored around. Well back to your question Joana, we just wanted to get to Megaton through this shortcut that we had no idea was a deathtrap."

Crow had a point. I at least want a moment of silence for him though.

"And it cost you a guard and a brahmin." Joana said.

"And Crow Caravans is sunk unless you could lug some of this with me."

"Humping a single crate with no brahmin over a three mile stretch will be risky. Can you girlfriend with the brace shoot straight?"

"You saw her take out at least two more raiders than I did."

"No I didn't see that because I was too focused on saving your asses."

I admired the compliment, if it was one. "But that was with that Chinese AR, but it broke on me and I suck at using a pistol which I have no ammo for."

Crow handed me the Aug-A3. "Give me back Augustus when we make it to Megaton. I can't use him when carrying anything anyway. Now I need to pick a crate to carry with us… can you hand me Jerry's laser pistol."

I took Augustus (He seriously named an inanimate object?) and retrieved Jerry's laser pistol. Now I know the guard's names and can pay my respects after we make it to safety.

Jerry's blood made the handle of the laser pistol a bit slippery so I used his shirt to wipe down the weapon. I knew it was disrespectful but Crow was getting something from a crate.

After handing off the laser pistol to Crow who had a metal tank of some sorts, I looked over Augustus and it seemed to use the same ammo as my broken AR. I scavenged the ammo from my discarded weapon and looked back to Jerry's corpse.

"Are we going to bury him?"

"We don't have time. Drag him next to the brahmin."

I did as instructed and watched as Joana lugged a single heavy wooden crate from the brahmin's corpse and Crow dump the metal canister of fuel over the bodies.

The smell from the fuel was nauseous forcing me to gag at the heavy smell (surprised it wasn't the smell of death that had invaded my nostrils) and we were off.

I didn't even bother asking what the fuel was for and walked alongside of them with Augustus in my hands.

With the weapon taking up both hands I had to abandon my crutch and limp. We got about ten feet away before Crow turned the laser pistol back towards the bodies and fired, the superheated crimson beam igniting the fuel from the canister.

Cremation and keeping people from pilfering the rest of the supplies… smart… yet it seemed like Jerry at least deserved to be burned separate from the supplies.

The gates of megaton were very imposing in the darkness, like the maw of a sleeping metal dragon. Night had completely fallen while we trekked the three remaining miles on foot and it was definitely hell on my banged up knee… it was nearly screaming in pain.

Crow set up his single crate up outside and I handed Augustus back to Crow, after I removed my ammo of course.

Now it was time to limp inside this scary yet homely looking fortress. Guarding the gates were two figures, a New Enclave Knight and a robot that walked on two legs with a massive piece of glass for a face that dominated its head.

With an artificial voice the machine greeted me and had a few moments pause between a few words. "Welcome to Megaton…stranger…try the Brass…Lantern…best food…around."

"Go on in ladies" The knight said as the massive gates opened up.

I quickly hobbled through the door into the city. Greeting my eyes were rather neat shacks cobbled together with various parts and metal all clustered around a massive pit. In the bottom of the pit was a bit of water dominated by a metallic egg shaped device I never seen before. People were going all about their business but I didn't see any more black armored knights. Probably wouldn't in the dim light the lamps around the town provided.

"Where is the Enclave, don't they run this town?"

"They are in the police station they built, but 3-Dog exaggerated a little. Rivet City only has only two Vertibirds taking off and landing on it and the amount garrisoning this town is slim to none. After a little digging I found that they do have the right idea though. I saw their main base, at least 20 to 30 men helping out the locals like a hospital and they have 10 troops here with a dozen or so in Rivet City, although every day, more people forgive them for Eden's Enclave blowing up Project Purity and join them. Follow me and we can continue this in my house."

We walked (actually she let me lean against her after I tripped) as we made our way to her house.

She opened the door and ushered me in. Inside I was greeted by two chairs and a table on a massive red rug. The bookshelves that were resting against the stairs leading up to the second level were populated by various ammo types and a few mugs. Right across from it was a stand holding a collection of bobble heads.

A three armed robot floated down the stairs. "Good evening madam, I see you brought company."

"That I have Wadsworth. Ms. Tavi might be staying awhile so we need all the bottles of water your collectors can squeeze out."

"Right away madam, five bottles of pure water."

The robot procured five plastic bottles from a panel on its body. Joana put three of those bottles into a canteen and I was handed the remaining two which I stored in my backpack.

I discovered a bullet hole running through my bag, a few inches over and it would have impacted my side right at armpit level.

Joana directed me to sit on one of the chairs. The old seat was hard as a rock but better than standing. I set my pack down beside the chair and sat down how I seen Lyra sit in the park in Ponyvill when I visited for a vacation from Manehattan.

Joana was the first to speak. "I can't help but notice you're Equestrian. Why are you here exactly? I only know of one other Equestrian that's out in the wastes besides the army."

So she knows where the army is, good. "Well I'm not part of the original force sent here, I was sent here to go retrieve Princess Celestia. Her sister Luna was thought to be here by her and she led a large group of others to retrieve Luna and a few others thought to be lost also. It just so happens to turn out that Luna and the others made it back safely and seven others and myself was sent to find the army and send a message so we can open a portal home."

"I talked with Celestia… I mean Princess Celestia. I could tell it in her voice she was desperate to find her sister. I never believed in magic until I seen your people, especially your natural occurring tattoos. Speaking of, that other Equestrian in the wastes I mentioned is named Spitfire."

"Oh great…" Oh great I said that out loud.

"What is it?"

"Do I have to tell you?" please say no please say no please say no!

"Yes you do, what is the obvious deal with her?"

Dammit. "We err…had a fight before."

Please don't make me explain more because it was actually a bare hoof bar brawl after I made a drunken pass on her. I have no grudge against her but I don't know if she keeps one.

Joana just shrugged. "Fair enough, I'm going to go see her. I noticed you're limp and the leg brace so you need some rest so you can use my bed which is a hell of a lot better than the common house, also if you need some spending money I have a bag of twenty caps in the desk next to my bed."

"Thanks for all this help, but why are you going through all this trouble for me, and how did you meet the army?"

"I just love making the wasteland a better place by handing out supplies to the poor, running mail between towns, helping a wounded Equestrian recover from an injury before she gets herself killed. As for how I met your Princess…"

(Viewpoint Change: Joana: a few weeks ago: her explanation in flashback form)

I moved through the metro tunnels once again trying to get to a secluded section of the city to retrieve a little trinket for someone that may or may not be there. I really needed to stop accepting quests from random Joes to retrieve some item of little value.

Where I was heading was a place everyone calls shit central… an old park that is a free for all between raiders, Talon Co., and the mutants.

I exited the metro tunnels and slipped on a stealth-boy. The stealth field enveloped me and kept me hidden from sight.

The metro tunnel led to a street that ran all the way to the park. The park also has three other roads that lead to it from other sections of the city where the demented denizen and mutant freaks duke it out for control of a half kilometer wide stretch of earth that looks like a test firing area for fat-mans… actually Talon Company does love those things when they join the fray for control of the park.

I continued unseen by the nothing that populated the rubble cramped road between the crumbling skyscrapers as I made my way rather quickly towards the park.

What was I retrieving…? Oh yeah some decorative plate from the raider camp past the park. The relative of the person I'm getting it for no longer needs it in their possession because they are either food for the cannibals or decorating the streets.

I made my way to the park to find a small army engaged in hand to hand combat with the muties and being the good karma Samaritan I am, I pulled out my silenced sniper rifle and started popping the muties domes right as the stealth-boy ran out of charge.

After my fire support was over I decided to investigate this new little faction in what appeared to be gold power armor mostly wielding melee weapons. If they were hostile I could slip on another stealth-boy and get the hell out of doge with no worries.

There was a woman walking around whom, rather being at least six foot six, was carrying a crown like helmet while being flanked by a super sledge carrying person in silver and purple power armor. Her power armor was a lot different than the others around her. Instead of being decorated with engravings it was plain and the metal was a few shades duller than the others with a few dents and scratches in the armor. Was the armor a lot older perhaps?

The helmets were opened at the front and clearly shown the many male and female faces all staring at me as I walked towards the leader and her right hand man. They weren't hostile acting and only a few had tight grips on the spears they carried.

I observed the carnage in the field, I only saw two dead power armored soldiers amongst the twenty or so mutant corpses, I had only taken out five.

They took down the muties with only spears and a few crossbows... pretty damn good I have to admit.

I then noticed the female had long hair that was streaked in perfect watercolor rainbow. I saw photos of rainbows in Vault 101 before, but the soft long hair was absolutely beautiful.

She was armed with a sword in a wooden sheath at her hip, a mutant's bolt action rifle was across her shoulder with a sling, and she was carrying a single bladed two handed axe.

The large axe was gold in color and the blade was shiny like silver with a decorative orange sun adorning the blade and the shaft of the axe had an orange streak spiraling down it.

"I take that you haven't attempted to take any of our lives as a sign of peace. I am Princess Celestia and the guard next to me is Captain Shining Armor." She said in a soft voice that put Eden's charisma to shame.

Ok he had a weird name, probably some military code name or something. So a self-appointed wasteland princess in control of a small army that can take out muties with spears. Why haven't I heard of them before?

"Nice to meet you, my name is Joana and I was curious as to how a whole army got here and why I haven't seen or heard of any of you before."

"Simple we are not of this world and only arrived a few short hours ago. We are from the land known as Equestria and we come in search of my sister Luna, and six friends along with a mail carrier."

Great… aliens, the last time I dealt with aliens they stuck probes in places that probes shouldn't go. But since these aliens are not little green men in silver suits that want to study me, I will give them a chance.

It is said that the eyes are the gateway to the soul so I looked her straight in the eyes. I was halted from my soul searching when I noticed her eyes were a soft pink.

"I don't think I have seen them… um, why are your eyes pink?"

"Is pink not a naturally occurring color in your species eyes?"

"No and neither is rainbow hair that doesn't appear to be dyed."

She put her helmet back on. "It is my natural hair color. So, does this world have any form of magic whatsoever?"

Magic aliens… note to self, do not piss them off. "I do not know… humans aren't known for their skills in wizardry."

"Captain Armor, have the men unpack the carriages, then do a head count, and please fetch Spitfire, I require her scouts."

"On it my lady." The one in purple armor said as he saluted and moved to a collection of six western style covered wagons that had their wheels busted to hell. Whatever portal spit them out, it didn't do it gently.

"I would strongly advise you not to set up base here. This is an active battleground between the raiders and mutants on a regular basis, and Talon Company loves to jump in and clean out the survivors."

"I appreciate your concerns but we can handle ourselves. We will also reach out to these other factions and see if a diplomatic solution arises. The green giants I guess are the mutants have already claimed the life of two of my guards here so diplomacy is out of the question for them."

We began walking as one guard followed. Surprised they are so trusting and their leader so lightly guarded. Any doubt they were aliens has just been blown away.

"Mutants can't be reasoned with, and neither can Talon Company or the raiders."

"I appreciate the advice but until they show their motives we can't go just on your word alone and disregard diplomacy and give way to open combat."

We neared a perimeter wall and as soon as she looked forward from her last sentence three raiders stepped out from a gap caused by a pre-war car smashing through the wall.

One pointed a sawn-off 12 gauge directly at the Celestia's forehead and the other two had 9mm pistols pointed at the guard and me. We were too far away for the rest of the Equestrian's camp to notice us so we just sat tight.

Shotgun raider spoke. "Any of you move and I blow pretty Ms. Tall girl's brains out. Clear on that. Now drop the weapons"

"Clear" I said reluctantly as I dropped all the weapons I was carrying.

Celestia just chuckled after disarming. "My name is Princess Celestia. Just thought I tell you that before the royal guard right behind you kills you."

He turned to see the guard that wasn't there and I swore Celestia said "gotcha" right before grabbing him by the arm and tossing him into the one pointing at me. She then kicked the remaining one with an armored boot to the gut before he could (or me) comprehend what was going on.

She picked up the 12 gauge and yanked up the raider who previously owned it up by the shirt. Now I see she needs no escort.

"Now would you kindly escort yourselves to the guard captain in the purple after telling me where your leader is so I can have a talk?"

They surprisingly obeyed (although using language that shouldn't be muttered around a princess) and told her about their base down the road. I wasn't going to tell her what she was going to find, plus I needed to get that plate for that guy or whatever.

After I rearmed with my sniper rifle, combat knife, and 9mm beretta with a few extra clips complimentary of the two dropped 9mm pistols, we continued down the street all the way to the small camp. The others that were normally here were either dead or moved on, but their 'decorations' were left behind.

The guard muttered something about a rainbow factory before puking his guts up and Celestia stared at the mutilated corpses. What could be so horrible about a factory that makes rainbows?

I expected a look of horror on her face but when I looked, the expression on her face was neutral, and seeing no visible emotion come across her face scared me worse than if she would have smiled at the gory décor.

After a few seconds her face twisted in anger and she done a 180 degree spin and began fast walking back to their camp. When we neared the busted section of wall she discarded the shotgun and grabbed her axe she leaned against the wall for safe keeping after removing her helmet… and what I saw scared the shit out of me.

Her hair went from watercolor rainbow, to swirling the yellows and oranges of the sun.

I followed her and we made it to where the prisoners were being held. I almost pitied them… almost.

"I saw what was at your camp. Speak in your defense before I pass judgment on you three." she said in a stern yet somehow motherly voice as she gave them a look that would make a deathclaw wet its bed.

I imagined she would have gone off the deep end on them but she remained relatively level headed.

They didn't speak.

"For the unforgivable crime of murder and mutilation, I sentence you three to death by headsman's axe."

Beheading, this princess is starting to scare the living shit out of me.

Captain Armor ran up to investigate what was happening.

"Captain, set up a block and decide whose head rolls first. I doubt any of you would volunteer for headsman duties so I shall perform the execution."

Captain Armor was visibly shocked at Celestia. A crowd gathered around and Captain Armor chose the prisoner that held me up to go first. A cinder block from the perimeter wall served as a chopping block and the other raiders watched as the one Captain Armor selected got into position.

I decided to interrupt the execution before it started. "Instead of beheading them which will sever a limb from their bodies like they done to their victims, why don't I just shoot them?"

"That is a preferable alternative Joana. You three, any last words before Joana ends your life."

The first raider spoke. "Yeah just a few… Fuck the both of you."

Celestia just chuckled. "How charming" She said sarcastically. "And you?" she asked the next raider.

"See you in hell bitch."

"Make sure Hades or whoever you call him here keeps the place warm." There was a tone of surprising sincerity in her voice. "And you?"

"Yeah when she shoots me can she not shoot me between the eyes? I don't want to die cross-eyed."

The other two raiders looked at him like 'seriously that's it?'

"I accept that request. I hope your three wicked souls find their way safely to eternal damnation in Tartarus."

I drew my Beretta from my holster and deposited a single bullet into each head killing them instantly.

Celestia seemed to calm down, her hair was no longer going supernova.

Yeah outside she seemed calm and collective, but inside… if her hair was any indication… was a torrent of riotous anger directed at them. Surprised she didn't explode.

"A lot quicker death than they deserved." Celestia said as Captain Armor and a few guards collected supplies off the corpses and took them away.

(Present Day: Megaton: Back to Octavia's POV)

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up a second, Celestia said that!?" I asked in shock.

"Yes she did. I asked her why she was going to beheaded them since it was basically what they would do and she said that it was capital punishment for notoriously dangerous criminals back where you're from. After that Captain Shining Armor gave her the head count and we talked of where you were from and about magic. Also there were 10 well 8 people missing from the 66 that went there. 5 pegasi, well 3 missing because Spitfire said the one with her was killed, three unicorns, and two earth ponies."

"Only 8 missing? Well wonder if we can find them."

"We shall see, if their dead collect the tags off them and hand them to either me or Spitfire. Speaking of whom, I really must go and see her because I'm about the only person she sees and I doubt it's healthy for her. Remember lots of rest and don't strain yourself. I can make it back by midday tomorrow if I'm lucky"

If I'm lucky I'll sleep till midday tomorrow. Well it was off to bed then.

(Megaton the next morning)

I woke up staring at the rusty metal ceiling of the small room Joana graciously let me use.

I got out of her singlewide bed and laughed at the thought I just had. It was the first time I was in another woman's bed without them in it.

I picked up my knife, 10mm pistol, backpack, and the caps from the desk in the room and walked downstairs where the robot was floating around somehow humming a tune.

I asked Wadsworth if there was a store and a bar around and he gladly gave me directions to Craterside supply and Moriarity's Saloon.

My leg felt good enough that I didn't need the brace and I only had a little soreness in my knee. I didn't even limp, still wasn't going out for a sprint anytime soon.

Upon leaving I looked to the sky and seen I had a few hours before Joana should be back so I followed Wadsworth's directions as I made my way through the twisting and turning platforms to the store and went inside.

I sold my formal suit for a suit of leather armor and actually made a profit off of it. It was strange wearing real leather. Most leather in Equestria is synthetic because it requires the hides of animals to make so there are not many true leather items, but the few items requiring hardier real leather had it imported in small amounts from Grifhala.

I also asked for a haircut and Moira Brown successfully copied Vinyl's haircut on me, the reason I got one was due to my original making me attractive to the raiders and also would allow someone to grab me by my hair.

After the haircut I quickly got out of the store after I purchased some 10mm ammo because she was starting to remind me of Pinkie Pie and it was beginning to creep me out, so I made my way to the bar in my new armor and went inside.

It was a quite large bar, a counter with several stools, a dining area off to the side, and stairs leading up to what appeared to be rooms.

At the bar was a man in leather armor armed with what appeared to be a sawn-off shotgun and he had a leg brace on, behind the bar was what appeared to be a zombie bartender listening to 3-Dog ramble about the Brotherhood, and a woman stood by the bar smoking a cigarette as a man came out a door by the bar.

"Well now, a new face in this little watering hole. My name is Colin Moriarity and welcome to my saloon. Talk to Gob fer a drink lassie." He then walked back into his room before I could reply.

I sat down on the barstool in the near empty saloon. The zombie was polishing some glasses with a rag and the male was drinking a bottle of whisky.

"So Gob, I'll have a scotch and whatever mutfruit is." I said as I looked over the menu board

"Sure thing, that will be 25 caps." He said with a massive rasp like his throat was sandpaper.

I gave him the money and the woman sat beside me. "I saw the look you gave him. Gob is what you call a ghoul, and before I forget, I'm Nova. If you need a room talk to me."

I received a bottle of scotch and mutfruit. I definitely decided to not eat the bluish-purple berry shaped glob of whatever that was.

"Thanks Nova, I'm Octavia. I met you're brother Crow already, he actually got me here. Well, I would rent a room but Joana actually let me stay in her house while she went into the city so I don't need one. So what's your job here if Gob is the bartender?"

Colin popped his head out of his room. "My lass, she's the poon. If ya need a bit a company then part with a few caps and she's all yours. Don't get too rough though." His expression changed into the look the men always give me. "Hey you are a lovely lassie, how about a job?"

"Sorry, my girlfriend will kill me if she found out." I got up from my seat and walked over to him. "But she doesn't have to find out." I said as I brushed his cheek. Then I sucker punched him in his gut.

"*Umph* …What *cough*…the bloody hell…*argh*…lass?" He said as he stumbled and leaned against the bar.

"I'm not a whore, and next time you pull shit like that, I aim a little lower with my knee. Got it?"

"You little *umph*. Get the hell out of my saloon before I fill that pretty little ass full of holes."

I walked out calmly after he said that and began to return to Joana's house.

Nova stopped me when I was halfway there and she was almost out of breath from running. "I can't believe you did that. Nice job putting him in his place and if you need a little company, I'm sure Colin won't mind a freebie for you. Also here is your mutfruit… I couldn't slip out the scotch though."

"Thanks Nova, but I only sleep with other women with Vinyl."

"Well I hope I see you around Octy, I need to get back to the saloon."

Why does everyone give me that damn nickname? First my parents, then Vinyl, now she's in on it.

I didn't even get to drink my scotch before I got kicked out, but the look on his face when my fist connected with that fat gut of his…priceless. Wonder if Nova's goanna catch hell for running out? If I see one bruise on her I swear that Colin will get a visit from a raider in his sleep.

On my way back to Joana's house I figured what the hell, and took a bite of the oddly shaped berry-fruit thing. It tasted exactly like a blueberry. The rad meter on the pipboy clicked a few times to alert me that the mutfruit was radioactive but only minutely.

After I finished the lightly rad dosed berry I entered the house to find a green giant, a bald woman, Spitfire, and Joana all talking around the main room.

The giant looked at me. "Hey Octavia, I'm a mutant."

What the…? That was John. "What happened to you Foley?"

"I was turned into a supermutant, Samantha apparently is my servant, and Spitfire has a pet deathclaw. How have you been?"

Spitfire threw her hands up in defense. "Hey, Mr. Chomps is not my pet."

Joana looked confused. "You named the thing?"

"Sure did. If he was hanging around might as well. That still doesn't make him my pet."

The bald woman, the one Foley called Samantha spoke up. "The thing followed us for 30 minutes before Joana shot it in the face."

"It was a fucking deathclaw, what else should I do?"

I decided to speak up. "Will we quit talking about deathclaws?"

Foley began clutching his forehead with one of his massive hands. "*ungh* Joana…I need some…" *thud*

Foley passed out which caused Samantha to look worried. "He needs help now… the special I felt in him is growing weaker while the other him grows stronger."

I was confused. "What are you talking about?"

Spitfire let out a chuckle. "Oh Octavia, can't you see where a collection of basket cases? I developed a slight alcohol problem along with problems being alone, Samantha is brainwashed into serving supermutants, and Foley here has a split personality that wants to kill us all. He filled us in after his last episode."

Great. "Well shit… also Spitfire you drank before."

"I did, but never to this excess or to forget things. If you can't tell I'm a little rosy cheeked right now. Hey remember that one time you and I were drunk in the bar in Manehattan after my airshow and you hit on me."

Not this again. "Don't remind me."

"I kicked your ass once in the fucking bar and then the sidewalk after we were thrown out. You were lucky those guards was there to break up the fight."

Ok so she's looking back on it and laughing, maybe we could be friends hopefully.

"I specifically remember that you only bloodied my nose a little and I had you in a headlock."

"Sorry to break up your little reunion but Foley needs help." Samantha said, ending the conversation then and there.

I did learn that night not to hit on women with military training who are less drunk than you are.

"I'm straight. She's the one making drunk passes on the other women." Spitfire grumbled out as Joana looked over Foley.

Ok maybe a little bit of a grudge.

Foley leaned up clutching his head. "Ow…I really need some medicine or something…anything to keep me from losing it. Wait…Octavia…HP is alive…I rescued him last night but I didn't know we would find Spitfire so I told him to go alone before I lost control."

Thank heavens…HP saved my life…I hope he is all right.

Joana thought for a few seconds. "I think the New Enclave has medicine in their main base. We could go to them on our way to the rest of the Equestrians but we need to tell them he is coming first. He gets within ten feet of the place and he will be vaporized. So we just tell them he's coming and bring him out after we get the all clear."

Good…we have a plan.

Joana helped Foley off the floor and began to pass out ammo from her locker and gather supplies. She then led us to the gate.

We walked and walked not met by anything more than a single rouge raider or a wild dog. Thankfully Foley didn't have any more episodes when we were walking.

We entered the city ruins and began making our way to the New Enclave's main base.

We made it to them after a few hours of walking and talked with them, discovering Gilda and Zecora were there.

They did have medicine for Foley and they practically gave it to us because Zecora showed them how to manufacture antibiotics and increase their chemistry lab output by a little bit only for a miniscule amount of caps they insisted on giving her.

When we asked about Zecora they said she left with a patrol along with Gilda to meet up with the Equestrian military.

We thanked them and left then set out to a nearby metro station.

We entered the darkness and Samantha's eyes glowed red as we walked. It was unnerving watching the cherry red slice through the pitch black as she navigated flawlessly through the dark. Joana turned on her Pip-boy light and it was enough to see clearly.

When we came across our first ghoul we didn't need to do much. His head was splattered on the wall by a bullet to the brain, killed just like a zombie.

Going deeper into the musty smelling, rubble filled tunnels only revealed more ghouls, many were already dead. Only two were living which was a piece of cake for Samantha and her axe, who dismantled the former humans like they were made out of paper. I saw a non-crazy ghoul and would have to ask about them later.

We went down the escalator to the platform where people used to wait for a train. The similarity to Manehattan's subway system scared me…I could almost wait for my train that will never come.

We moved down the tracks. It took a good few minutes of walking but we finally made it to the next platform.

*tat-tat-tat-tat*

"Get down!" Spitfire yelled as we took cover behind a derailed metro train.

The walkway above was populated by a few raiders…all wanting to kill us.

*clunk-clunk…BOOM* Heat slammed into me and knocked me down. I never heard a weapon that does that.

Samantha was nowhere to be seen, Foley was trying to help me up, and Spitfire and Joana were the only ones shooting back.

*Ahhhhhh! CRACK*

The gunfire stopped from Joana and Spitfire as I finally managed to get on my feet and draw my pistol.

I pooped around the corner to see raiders have slashes appear on their bodies before they collapsed in a heap. One was lying on the ground after he fell from the walkway.

All of us waited by the train for whatever killed the raiders. *zzzz whoosh*

I spun to aim my pistol at the head of Samantha who just appeared out of thin air covered in a little bit of blood smiling.

It scared me so bad I couldn't shoot.

Foley looked at Samantha. "A power of yours?"

Samantha just chuckled. "Stealth-boy. I carry one everywhere I go in case a master comes across a deathclaw and gets himself killed."

I just had to ask. Admittedly a little rudely "What are you? Foley didn't give us any information and you keep calling the mutants masters." Well I understood the last part.

Samantha shrugged. "I serve any master I please and I chose Foley right after he was created in Vault 87. I can't remember my original name but Foley named me Samantha. All I remember is that when I woke up in the lab of Vault 87 that I needed to serve a master. If I recall correctly I had 2 masters before Foley. Both are dead."

Joana continued onward. "We need to hurry up, I hate these tunnels. Never know when a feral ghoul comes up behind you until it gets a hit off on you and you start swinging a weapon like a fool."

I heeded her warning and pressed on. I would ask her about the explosive weapon later. I did manage to loot a few caps from one body and snag another Chinese AR and set it to single fire. These things were so common it was like the makers of the weapon were invading.

We exited the metro station and were greeted by the dilapidated ruins of skyscrapers. The stuffy metro tunnel air was replaced with even stuffier air of the outside.

"We only have a few blocks before we get to the old park where I last seen them. I doubt they are there but we need to keep moving so we can get out of there as fast as we can. It's not a good neighborhood to be in when it's dark, or when it's light."

We continued unopposed and death silent until we started hearing gunshots.

(AN: Yes I know Celestia acts a bit OOC but we never seen her react to a murder before so give me some slack.)


	6. Chapter 6: Park

Chapter 6 Park

(Zecora's POV: A bit after chapter 2: night time)

Earlier in the day I taught my new friends a thing or two behind their brewing stands, now I was sleeping peacefully knowing I kept my end of the bargain although there was a lack of familiar ingredients. Then my serenity was shattered by the memories of my past.

My eyes flew wide open and I nearly fell out the chair I was sleeping on. No matter what I do I can't forget the memories and they haunt me like a ghost.

I got up from the seat and looked around. It was dark spare the green glow of the terminals and a few lights. Gilda was fast asleep and with no real reason to go back asleep and continue where I left off I walked up to the top floor where the heavy smell of a cigar chocked the air with its sickly sweet smell.

The lit end of a cigar outlined the face of an armor clad Thorn sitting on a large piece of concrete support column that toppled over.

"Morning Zecora how did you sleep." He asked me in his gruff voice as the cigar glowed orange and faded as he took a puff.

I sat down beside him and looked at him as he took another puff of the shortening cigar. "Have you ever had a nightmare that wakes you up time and time again?"

Thorn removed his cigar and held it with an armored hand. "Here, I think we all do. Tell this old soldier about it young lady."

"I'm forty six so I'm far from."

He laughed "You're kidding? I would peg you as somewhere along the lines of early thirties. I'm forty two and I'm falling apart."

"Living in the woods off the land has its benefits and I neither drink nor smoke."

"Ah, that is unfortunate I'm sure I would have loved to share a glass of whisky and a cigar" He said jokingly. "I keep forgetting you're one of the Equestrians. We saw a whole army of you guys down in the park and been meaning to send another squad to establish good relations, last squad I accompanied just learned about you guys then the muties shown up. So about that nightmare."

My mood immediately went too depressed faster than Pinkie Pie's hair deflating. "Well I used to serve in the army in Zebrica, the county I'm originally from. Drugs and crime were so bad the army had to fight and during one raid…" my words caught in my throat. "The child was no more than ten but he was high and armed… I had to kill…" I trailed off.

"Raiders, the things are barely human beings anymore and it still plagues my conscience when a kid draws a gun and it's either him or you."

I sighed "I know you're trying to help me but it's not the same. The kid wasn't living in a world like this. Sure a few buildings were turned into smoking wrecks in the riots that followed the issue of the curfew and marshal law but nothing on this scale. I asked Dr. Nichols what happened here and he told me it was a war over two hundred years over. This place is far worse than Zebrica."

"True, but still the kid wasn't thinking clearly and you had to defend yourself."

"I know. It still hurts me to remember his face when I stabbed him. Here I killed a raider but didn't feel a thing after an explosion killed another with us. It took me months before I could sleep easy after my first kill and I can't tell if it's good I'm able to sleep at all after what happened." I began to tear and I felt a heavy metal arm run across my shoulder and pull me into a hug where I cried.

"Don't cry Zecora, your beating yourself up for self-defense. Raiders have given up their humanity and… sadly that kid attacked you first."

"I'm a horrible person because I felt nothing." Nothing at all, was I growing into a merciless killer?

"Don't talk like that, I heard that you helped Dr. Nichols to create new antibiotics for the first time since the war and he had to force you to take, what a bag of twenty caps. That kind of selflessness is extinct in this world. Hey listen my squad and a few others are going out to meet up with the Equestrians. You and your white haired friend can come along. So is it true you were talking animals before this and before I forget why are you and her not with the others?"

"I'm sure Gilda and I will enjoy accompanying you and your men. As for why we are here is we came from our home world to find our leader who left to find her sister after she disappeared. Also look at this." I handed him my tags where he could look at it in the steadily growing light of the rising sun, such a beautiful sight of orange and reds amongst the city of grey.

"If I remember correctly these are in fact Zebras. In Raven Rock we had a book of animals. So is the one there your husband and that you?"

I wiped more of my tears away. "I knew I got my looks from my mother. Dad's in his police uniform."

"So there what eighty–ninety now? Can't believe I actually accept that they are your parents"

"Seventy seven and eighty one if there were still amongst us. They died together the same night."

"I'm sorry I didn't know."

"You had no idea so why can I be mad at you for."

"So can you tell me about yourself?"

"I am forty two, ex-Zebrican army, only child, unmarried and single, no children, live in the woods and mix potions. Basically I am a hermit who for a while was feared by the locals. Even one of my best friends had a silly little song about me."

I could see he was smiling. "How did it go?"

I rolled my eyes. "Let's see… She's an evil enchantress, she does evil dances, and if you look into her eyes she'll put you in trances. Then she'll mix up a brew, and gobble you up in a big tasty stew, so watch out." My accent and older age didn't due the song justice but I could see Thorn was chocking back chuckles

A new rather youthful voice accompanied us hidden in the stairwell. "So old Thorn is having a heart to heart with his new girlfriend? Guess we can nickname miss potion mixer Voodoo?"

As much as Voodoo was an insult to me it did have a certain ring.

Thorn began stuttering but his reply was fearsome. "Christopher, get out of here before I court martial you with my boot."

"Just giving you a hard time that I know will come back and bite me in the ass later. Have fun with Voodoo, Monte."

"Show a little respect and use my last name before I get Murphy to shoot you."

Murphy replied right away. "Sorry I'm on his side Thorn. Can you just skip the mushy flirting and get a bunk."

"We are not flirting!" he sent back.

"Actually you asked about my home and then got me to sing that silly song, in my book that's flirting."

Thorn face palmed. There was the sound of people running down the steps. "Sorry about that. It's like I'm dealing with children."

There was the sound of footsteps and Jun came up the stairs with his rifle along with the radio operator Sally so the top floor was quickly becoming a little too crowded for my liking.

"Well I enjoyed spending this time with you and your help but now I'm going to help Dr. Nichols and Dr… who was that other doctor?" did I sound like I was avoiding him.

"Simon Cain, just call him Doc Holiday."

"What is with the nicknames?"

"You either are given a nickname or earn one, and you were given one so you don't have a choice. I was given mine because I'm one of the oldest here and in charge. Holiday got his because of his medical concoctions that will make you feel like you're on a holiday. You apparently get Voodoo due to your apparent alchemy skills."

Wonder what Gilda's will be. Griffons are bird like. A devilish smile crept across my face. "Well Mr. Thorn I hope to see you soon."

"You to Zecora."

(Gilda's POV: dawn)

I rolled out of bed much more energetic than yesterday. I slept in the dress and boots so I got up and started walking around trying to find Zecora. She was on the second floor working with a doctor at some sort of chemistry set mixing various chemicals.

"Nichols I think I made something."

Dr. Nichols peered into a big beaker of brown liquid before mulling over what it could be. "Let's see." He sniffed the air. "Damn that's a big batch of Jet, what did you do?"

"Nothing I just started mixing and hoped it made something useful. So what is Jet?"

"The raider's drug of choice, no medicinal value so we can't use it, stuff has caused too much grief before."

I could see Zecora was shocked beyond belief.

"Hey Zecora how long have you been up?" I asked to get her mind off that she just made something harmful.

She turned to see me and brightened up. "Around two or three hours, I'm helping the Doctors what little I can. I don't have much in the way of medical skills here due to my brew's being home. Hey in a few hours hour we are going to go to meet up with Celestia. Thorn knows where they are at, I just hope Spike and the other group is with them."

"I know. So who are we going with?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Well our squad mates are Christopher Williams, Steven Bannermon, Monte Thorn, Murphy Smith, and Simon Cain. We need to meet them in the armory in the next room in an hour." Zecora said as she pointed.

I turned to see a door made out of rusty metal bars leading into a room full of shelves with guns and boxes for the bullets. Guess they are going to arm us and give us our weapons back. Good thing because my crossbow will do nothing compared to the guns of the humans.

In the hour we had to wait, Zecora and I met our new 'squad mates' as she called them over a game of poker.

Good thing it was just for fun because I didn't intend to lose the two hundred caps Zecora gave me for selling my armor, so we were just playing to pass the time until the mission.

During our game Zecora was surprised I didn't know rank or military terms. I had to remind her I was a mercenary not a soldier which sparked the interests of the knights.

"So you were a mercenary what was your group called?" Murphy asked me as he laid his cards down in a fold. Good thing everyone took their helmets off so I could see their faces.

"The Talons of Grifhala, I got this scar over my eye first outing." was my reply as I laid down two aces.

Steve looked to Thorn who was sitting across from him at the circular table. "You hear that Thorn, told you she was Talon Company?"

"Yeah well The Talons aren't a bunch of assholes that rape and kill for pleasure. We do have some shred of honor and for If your information I was shot by Talon Company. We are two entirely different groups."

Steve looked to me. "Well then if you're so different then how do you verify kills?"

I smirked "However our employer wants. But remember we are mercenaries not hit men so we don't always get assigned targets to kill, we may get assigned security detail to high value VIPs that are targeted for assassination."

Zecora finally asked me a question. "Well then what happens if two Talons are assigned different sides?"

I laughed. "On mission everyone who is against you will be considered an enemy. One of my friends actually tried to kill me. After I knocked him out and stole the files we met back up later at a bar then shared a laugh and a few mugs of hard cider and eventually a bed."

I was glad no one was wearing a helmet so I could see all their jaws drop.

"He tried to kill you and you sleep with him… what the heck?" Christopher asked shocked.

"So now that you know how my organization works tell me about this little faction here."

Everyone looked to Thorn, especially Zecora for some reason.

"Well Gilda, I'm sort of in charge of the troops and Sally is in charge of the radio three floors up. This is sort of the main hub of our operations but we have little to no contact with the Megaton or Rivet City stations due to bad ham radio reception. We do have Vertibirds running between here and Rivet City but some super mutants keep slinging missiles skyward. Until we locate the missile mutants we have avoided sending birds this way and Megaton has no place to land to refuel."

Zecora piped up. "So there are essentially three factions of the New Enclave?"

"Yes and no. As I said we have little reception but on a clear day we can send a few messages to the other bases. Hell if Joana comes around here we might have her pick up a dish. Certainly did for 3-Dog."

I looked at the invisible watch on my arm. It was half past dead imaginary battery.

(Viewpoint change: Monte 'Papa Bear' Thorn)

"I think it's time to head out." Gilda said as she looked at her arm like she had a watch. Boy did she have some white hair; at least Zecora had black stripes in hers. I don't know what it is but I think I like her even if she is an alien.

I grabbed my plasma rifle I had sitting against my leg and put on my helmet letting the optics adjust for a second, then I led our merry little band to the second floor armory.

If you want it, the armory had it from knives to fat-mans which Murphy will defiantly grab and then argue with Sara our quartermaster.

We entered the large room after I unlocked the iron bar door. Inside were shelves and weapons lining the space in neat rows accompanied by lockers and cabinets of armor and ammo.

Gilda cracked a smirk that would fit a raider to a T while Zecora was looking at a Chinese officer's sword and wooden sheath resting on a rusty metal shelf.

I saw the looks she was giving it. "We don't use it so take it, payment for the medicine recipes."

I half expected the hug she gave me. If I wasn't in my power armor I swore she would have cracked a rib. Not that I'm complaining.

"Thank you so much… I love it." she said as she broke the hug then handled it like it was fine china and pure gold

Why was she gushing over a rusty sword? "Hey Zecora, so about the sword?" I asked hopeing she would take a hint.

She lost a bit of her cheer like earlier this morning as she unsheathed the unusually shiny blade. "Well my mother's sword looked like this and handles just like it too. It even has the dragon's tongue as the blade."

I took a good look at the sword. Sure enough the face of the dragon was the hand guard and the blade was its tongue.

"Your mother meant a lot to you didn't she?" stupid question no chance with her now.

"She did. After she died I was devastated. She was the reason I knew how to brew potions and fend for myself in the wilderness of the Everfree. What was your mother to you?"

"Never knew her. Died during childbirth and dad was long gone by the time I was born. A rotor malfunctioned on his Vertibird causing him to crash."

Zecora gasped. "That's horrible."

"It was long ago." I said as I grabbed a pouch of ammo.

Gilda cackled. "So take any new recruits here? I so want a suit of armor and a gun."

"I admire that killer attitude. Sara where is the combat armor, they also need their things?"

"There is a set of green combat armor in the locker to your left Thorn and their stuff is in the one to your girlfriend's right."

"She is not my girlfriend just a friend."

"Aww Monte you break this girls heart." Zecora joked as she batted her eyes at me giving me a look that was rather fitting for her young appearance.

Sara, Christopher, and Murphy almost died laughing.

Christopher took charge. "Ok, funny business aside we need to grab our gear and move out. We are going to establish relations with Voodoo's and Pigeon's people."

Gilda looked confused before she realized what had happened and looked at Zecora who was grinning madly. "Oh that is such a low blow you parasprite. I will definitely get you for that later."

Christopher looked at Gilda who was taking a few breaths to try and control her anger. "Just kidding, your new nickname is Raven."

Gilda dropped the rest of her anger and proceded to find herself a .45smg, quickly abandoning her crossbow. "Kick ass."

Christopher and I were already geared up. Murphy grabbed a mini-gun.

Sara just laughed as she handed a tri-beam laser rifle, plasma pistol, and other things like a canteen and ammo to Steven. "Murphy this is a diplomatic mission you don't need to intimidate the poor sods."

"Listen Sara, my philosophy on my guns is peace through superior firepower, so should I bring the missile launcher or the fat-man?"

I severely dislike his smartass attitude. "Take the mini-gun but just settle for a few grenades."

Murphy just grumbled and grabbed two plasma grenades. Holiday grabbed a laser rifle and 10mm pistol. Everyone was geared up except Zecora who only had her knife and sword. Gilda was almost in her combat armor only having a leg to finish armoring and put on her helmet besides the .45smg she also picked up an old .357 police pistol and respected ammo.

"Hey Zecora take your pick."

Zecora just took a simple black single-fire 5.56 carbine with a short range scope.

"So you do realize we need training for these?" Gilda asked me.

"I have an idea, also the metro tunnels are barely lit so we will issue you flashlights and ear pieces."

(o0o0o0o0o)

Gilda and Zecora stayed by my side as we descended to the first floor. As we walked I taught them the basics of shooting, how to use the ear piece, about the supermutants, and that were using feral ghouls as live targets. If they miss their targets the ghouls won't stand a chance against five New Enclave knights, especially Murphy and his mini-gun.

I chose feral ghouls for target practice because they are moving targets and are already in the metro tunnels we need to use to get to the park, plus the low lighting will provide a challenge for the new shooters.

When we entered the metro tunnel Zecora spattered a ghouls head into paste before anyone knew what happened. We moved further and further into the station lit by very dim emergency lighting letting Zecora and Gilda shoot any ghouls we encountered. If they got out of hand we could quickly dispatch any feral ghouls before any could harm them.

Zecora was good but she was quickly out shot by Gilda. At first Gilda's experience with crossbows would cause her to gauge bullet drop like arrows but she quickly learned to aim normally and the .45 ammo would eat through the ghouls faster than Zecora could squeeze off disciplined shots with her carbine. Both of them shot like professional soldiers putting into question that guns didn't exist in their world.

I met their leader a 'Princess Celestia' around a week and a half before we met. At her impressive height for a female only added to by her armor she was a sight to behold. Still I find it hard to believe she is ancient but the mythical creatures they were before coming here puts that into question of if it's possible.

It was hard to imagine that they weren't human before but after the massive alien crafts battling for hours trading blows in the night sky, months before their arrival opened nearly every wastelanders mind to the existence of alien life. Joana the famed Lone Wanderer of course behind it all because of course little green men would abduct her.

We were walking down the ancient tracks to the next platform. An old subway car was on its side further down the platform. I looked to the ceiling and a few corpses hung from the ceiling.

"Voodoo, Raven, stay back we got raiders on the walkway." I whispered using their nicknames.

Zecora used the train as cover and peered at the walkway with her scope.

"Papa Bear no tangos in sight. Raven you eye any movement?"

Gilda was quick to answer with a simple no.

"Steve, Chris move up to the escalators, watch the floor for traps."

"On it Papa Bear" Steven replied as he and Christopher ran before there was a loud bang and the lights shut down.

"Damn there went the backup lighting." Holiday noted. "Ok no raiders complaining, let's move."

I nodded to holiday. "Everyone switch to night vision. Raven, Voodoo, hit your lights."

The intense beams of light cut through the black from their handheld lights as I switched my helmet into the familiar green vision to cut through the darkness.

I pressed my com-link in the helmet. "Everyone single file and up the escalator. Keep your ryes Eyes peeled."

We moved up single file on the escalator to the platform and Christopher took point. We headed towards the exit to be greeted by smoke coming out the backup generator room as we neared the exit. The light from the metro tunnels exit was enough we didn't need our night vision

"Door, hit the wall." Christopher called out.

Everyone pressed into the wall at the entrance spewing black smoke.

"I'm clearing." Christopher said as he entered gun raised and ready.

"It's clear. Some dumbfuck raider decided to play repairman."

He exited the room and we left into the well-lit world outside to gaze in at the inner city crumbling slate grey concrete buildings all in neat rows. Rubble chocked the dead streets as rusting buses and cars were stopped in the same spot that they were in two-hundred years ago.

"It's usually clear from here until the park but stay on your toes and vigilant." I ordered over the radio.

We moved slowly just in case down the desolate streets towards the park with Murphy in the lead with his mini-gun. We made it three blocks before we started hearing the voices of raiders walking down the road so we took cover behind the rusting remains of an exploded transit bus with a protectron in the driver seat for some reason.

"Papa Bear we have a group of three raiders coming towards us what should we do?" Murphy said over the helmet radio.

"We stay here and hold fire. We can't alert them and bring down everything on us. Now remain silent."

The group of three raiders passed no problem towards the metro station. We waited for them to get further down the road then continued on towards the park. Finally we made it to the wall surrounding the encampment but when we entered the park proper glass shattered and Steven went down.

"Sniper, Steven is hit!" Murphy yelled as we ducked back around the rusty iron gate that served as the entrance.

Steven's helmet was missing the glass over his left eye as pieces of his skull and brain leaked out the shattered glass pooling on the dirt.

Murphy went around the corner and blindly began spitting bullets from his mini-gun before he too was hit and went down. But thankfully he began crawling towards the exit but the mini-gun backpack was weighing him down to a sluggish crawl as blood seeped from the wound on his neck.

"Doc, Murphy is down. Gilda, Zecora stay down! Thorn, cover me!" Christopher yelled as I sent plasma towards where I thought the shooter was. Zecora and Gilda were panicking at the gunfire but stayed behind the large brick wall.

Christopher dove and quickly grabbed Murphy by the backpack and dragged him around the corner. Doc Holiday removed his helmet and checked the bleeding wound on his neck then his pulse. His head shake told me we lost another man. I served with him when I was still under Eden.

Out of nowhere Joana arrived with a small posse, a woman with shaggy black hair in leather armor with a Chinese AR, a woman with orange hair in a combination of supermutant body armor and an old uniform, a woman with no hair in tan clothing, and a supermutant.

(POV Change: Joana)

We arrived where we heard the gunfire and it was an Enclave patrol with Octavia's friends. From the looks of things they lost two men out of the five knights in the patrol.

"Zecora, are you a sight for sore eyes." Octavia nearly yelled as she got to Zecora who was in a red and black uniform but was quickly shushed by Zecora.

"Hey Joana can you use that sniper to get the bastard that killed my men?" the New Enclave knight I recognized as Monte Thorn asked me.

I drew my silenced sniper rifle and Thorn fired around the gate. I moved to a hole in the wall and quickly found the sniper in a stand in the park. He 'was' one of Talon Company's snipers, a very big emphasis on was because his brains now decorated the planks of the tree stand.

I moved back to the gate where the three remaining knights and the Equestrians were at. "I got him, it was Talon Co. sniper."

"Thanks for the assist Wanderer. No wonder the bastard knew were to shoot. Let's see if the Equestrians are here. Not much we can do for Murphy or Steven now."

We entered the park after Thorn collected Murphy and Steven's enclave holo-tags. The equestrian's had dug trenches into the park's earthwork and arranged their wagons in a circular fort but no one was there. The trenches were empty but there were personal articles like a few letters to home and some bolt action rifles. It was like they just vanished.

Samantha looked towards the crumbling towers eyeing them curiously.

"See anything Samantha?"

She pointed. "I think I see a sun glare off a piece of glass, fourth floor leftmost window."

"Hey Spitfire you said you have binoculars, I need them."

Spitfire quickly obliged. Using the highest magnification on it I saw a pair of binoculars sitting on a balcony.

"Hey, I spotted something!" I said to catch everyone's attention "There is a pair of binoculars in a prime observation position."

Monte Thorn got my attention by raising his hand like in the school in Vault 101. "Joana you have to search while my remaining men head back to base. We have to get Steven and Murphy's gear back for repairs and hopefully get a corpse retrieval team out this way. Well Zecora, it was a pleasure knowing you, but I believe you have other objectives that need attending to."

Zecora said goodbye in a language I never heard before. Or at least I think it was goodbye. With our Enclave friends gone I decided to check out the body of the sniper.

He had a silenced .308 sniper rifle, the same as mine. I took all the ammo I could and regrouped with the others searching the trenches.

They found two personal letters to home.

Letter one

_Dear Red Rose._

_I have no way of sending this to you but just writing it is helping me calm down because I am having a Twilight tier freak out. When we arrived here we were not expecting to change, not mentally so don't worry I'm not crazy, but as a species, even our armor changed with us. The hole in my helmet for my horn is gone and if you're wondering, yes, I have no magic now, the only one still with some magic is Celestia herself, but it only seems to affect her mane. Damn thing lit up like the Winter Moon Celebration's fireworks when these three human males arrived at camp. Apparently they are murders of sorts. But that was all after these giants attacked us out of nowhere and a friendly human killed some of them. Then she executed the three murderers when Celestia wanted them dead. After a short while, men in black armor arrived and talked with us. They were very interested in Equestria but more of the giants came back. Lucky for us by then Captain Armor had us dug in deeper than an Everfree tick. Remember when I had them? Of course you do because the damn things nearly sucked me dry and we had to get that zebra witch doctor to remove them. _

_Well darling I'm running out of things to talk about today_

_With love, Broadsword. _

Letter two read.

_Dear Red Rose_

_It's been three days since I wrote a letter you won't receive but I still feel the need to apologize. Were stuck here due to the wagons being wrecked, with busted wheels it took half the camp to drag the things into a little circle. Now Celestia is pissed because more of the murdering gang came around trying to set up shop down the road. I personally saw what they do to ponies, well people in our case and I have to agree with her. We acquired some guns, these really strange crossbows that I'll have to explain in person, and were going to attack them. Bastards hang corpses from chains after torturing and mutilating them. They keep far enough away that we don't run into each other but close enough we can hear the screams of their victims at night. Moral in camp is lower than a parasprites IQ and Celestia is desperate to find the Elements and her sister but being stuck here prevents us from searching. I overheard her talking with herself and she said "I lost her for a thousand years I will not lose her any longer." She's also beating herself up over losing a few of the men to mutant attacks and bringing us here in the first place. Shining Armor reminded her that we all would line up single file and voluntarily march through hell on our own. We owe Twilight and her friends for the many times they saved our asses. Girls took on half an invasion, defeated a chaos god, and helped stop a dark lord but there are others like the dragon polluting the air while sleeping to name a few_

_With love, your husband, Broadsword._

With the letters read we decided to check out that observation post in the building. On the way there I chatted with the two new members of our merry little band, Zecora Rivera and Gilda Grimfeathers. Apparently Zecora was a zebra herbalist and Gilda was a mercenary in a group close in name to Talon Company. We got to the building no problem but we had no idea if the observer laid traps.

Being the most experienced in the Capitol Wasteland I opened the door carefully while I looked for any wires or detonators of any kind. When I didn't explode I made my way inside quickly turning on my pip-boy flashlight.

*beep-beep* *beep-beep*

I jumped out the door and slammed it shut as the mine went off. I opened the door again and I immediately saw two more plasma mines leading up the steps in the dark room. Disarmed and pocketed I moved up the steps finally making it to the fourth floor without any more traps. I called the others up and Spitfire was the first to get to me. She remembered where I said the binoculars were and proceeded to unlock the respective door with a bobby pin and a throwing knife.

While she worked I decided to ask Zecora something. "You said something is some odd language to Thorn. What was it?"

She blushed and took a few seconds to come up with an obvious lie. "It was just goodbye."

"More like, goodbye I love you." I said in a joking manner to rub it in.

She blushed even more and I swore she muttered cuss words in her native language.

The door finally opened and we went inside. The room was small no more than twenty feet wall to wall.

The room was far from empty, a desk with a terminal and office chair next to the entrance, bedroll on the floor, various sized metal crates scattered about the room. But the main attraction was the advanced binoculars on the balcony.

The binoculars were electronic and had a built in camera function to snap photos of whatever the lenses were looking at.

I knew that whoever was up here was backed by a mountain of caps and would put either a tough password or a code lock on the terminal. I checked and gladly it was password protected but it would be tough to crack. It took me three back outs before I chose the right password, stealthninjaunseen.

"Hey guys I cracked the terminal, loot the place while I read up on this." I said to all the others as I checked for clues. There were two messages on the terminal. The one message sent from the terminal I decided to check out first.

_This is Specter reporting in from Park Observation Post. We have an army at least fifty strong. Combatants are not human and possess powers not of this world. Warning, they can take down a force a third their size with melee weapons. Photos will be attached to this message. Respond ASAP because Joana is in league with them._

I was only here that one time so they must have been here the whole time.

As described there were photographs uploaded from the camera attached to the message. The first was a few of the guards I seen labeled basic troops, another of Captain Shining Armor labeled second in command, one of Celestia saying leader, and another of her when she was angry was labeled possible powers.

I opened the reply message.

_We received the message. Wait until we arrive. We are sending Vertibirds and troops to pick up the extraterrestrials now. If our science division can harness these supposed powers for our own use then the Enclave can go on the offensive again. Raven Rock out._

They're prisoners in Raven Rock.

(AN: I will be taking a break for a while on this (Maybe not who knows?) and if you haven't noticed I am horrible at writing romance.)


End file.
